Tornado in London

Homes damaged as 'mini tornado' hits London street

Publisher: Jon Land
Published: 07/12/2006 - 12:44:06 PM Printable version
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A small tornado hit a residential street today, damaging several buildings and cars, police said.

Police were alerted to the "mini tornado" in Harlesden, north west London, at around 11am, a Scotland Yard spokeswoman said.

No one is thought to have been injured but a number of buildings, cars and street furniture were damaged in what one resident described as "some sort of cyclone".

Scotland Yard said the tornado had passed but that the London Fire Brigade and Ambulance Service were still at the scene on Chamberlayne Road in Kensal Rise, which is currently closed.

Tim Klotz, who works in entertainment and film and has recently moved to the street, said it happened right in front of his house.

Mr Klotz said: "It was like some sort of cyclone. I was actually in an attic room working at my desk on the computer and there was heavy rain and sleet and then the wind just really changed.

"I looked up through a skylight and debris was falling through the air. I heard what seemed like large, clay dominoes falling, which I think were roof tiles."

The 34-year-old, who is originally from New York, said it then went "a bit dark" so he went downstairs and heard a smash at the front of his house.

He said: "My house was very lucky because there was only a broken window and some damaged roof tiles but another house had its roof peeled off and fences had come down along the street.

"It was right in front of my house. I must have been right in the middle of it. There are police and fire services here now but I cannot see any fires. A few people are shaken up but there is no sign of anyone actually injured."

A London Ambulance Service spokesman confirmed they had been called to Chamberlayne Road at 11.02am after a storm caused structural damage to several buildings.

He said: "We have sent four ambulances, two fast response cars and two officers to the scene. We have also activated the helicopter emergency medical service which carries a senior trauma trained doctor and a paramedic."

The spokesman said it was not yet possible to confirm the number of casualties because they were still responding to the incident.

Video footage from a helicopter flying above the street showed part of the side of a house had collapsed into the street, partially covering a car parked outside.

The footage shown on Sky News also pictured several houses which had lost some roof tiles, including one house where almost the entire roof had been peeled away.

Firemen were cordoning off the street.

A spokesman for weather forecaster MeteoGroup said a band of strong storms came through with Heathrow airport recording gusts of 48 knots (55mph).

He said: "That is quite squally so residential areas might have had gusts of up to 60mph. That can cause some damage although it is hard to say at the moment whether it was definitely a tornado."

"From the damage it does look like it could be. It still seems to be very localised so it is either what is called a micro burst, a strong down burst of wind, or a tornado which is when the wind goes up."

Copyright Press Association 2006.

Six hurt as tornado hits street
Six people were injured when a tornado swept through a London street leaving a trail of destruction.
Rooftops were ripped off and cars were badly damaged as the freak weather hit Kensal Rise in north-west London.

One man suffered a serious head injury and five people are being treated in hospital for minor injuries, London Ambulance Service said.

A total of 11 fire crews were called to Chamberlayne Road. The road has been closed because of the debris.

Witnesses said there was heavy rain and sleet, then debris flying through the air.

Colin Brewer, who lives in nearby Trevelyan Gardens, said: "It was really, really incredible. All of a sudden I saw a swirl starting to form and then, it was amazing, but it then touched land.

"I then saw clumps of all sorts of things flying into air."

He reported seeing trees collapsed in the road and people being hit on the head by flying objects.

Emergency services were called at about 1100GMT to reports of collapsed scaffolding and damage to buildings.

Four ambulances and two fast response cars were sent to the scene and the helicopter was scrambled.