Mini tornado leaves Coventry residents baffled as tiles ripped from roofs

[dutchman]

There was some freaky weather in a city street on Tuesday



Wyken was struck by an unexpected tornado this week, according to residents who say the freak weather left gaping holes in the roof of one home. Blustery conditions took hold on an other wise bright and calm Tuesday afternoon around 2pm on Honiton Road.

Paula Tutchener was outside when it happened, saying the washing on her line became tangled and trees rattled during a bizarre five-minute interlude. She told CoventryLive her family told her she was "going cuckoo" until the realised the incident had caused damage to houses on the street.

Explaining what happened, Paula told CoventryLive: "I was in my house and I looked out the window and it was calm as you like. I went out for a fag and there was this wind. I had washing on the line and it was spinning and tangling up and the trees were going crazy. It was madness.

"I went in and didn't think too much of it, then I said to my husband and son later on 'I reckon we had a tornado today'. They just looked at each other and laughed and told me I was going cuckoo.

"Then my neighbour told me she had tiles missing on her roof. I went into our garden and our roof had tiles loose, but my neighbour had gaping holes in theirs. Another neighbour said her blinds started going mad.

"My house is clean, but when I went upstairs there was dust which had come loose from the top of the wardrobe. My house is never dirty so it didn't make sense? I wasn't upstairs so I don't know how that happened.

"It was so bizarre, madness. I couldn't believe what I was seeing because everywhere else was so calm. It lasted about five minutes, then it went calm again. But my husband and son thought I was nuts. But at least my washing dried quickly!"

We spoke to local weather enthusiast and expert Steve Jackson at Bablake Weather Station who said they were unaware of such an occurrence, but said what was described is usually known as a light tornado.

[dutchman]

"Who ya gonna call?"

[dutchman]

Children run for cover and staff member caught up in Coventry mini tornado

Dramatic scenes have been described at a Coventry primary school when a mini tornado struck the city. Wyken residents have already told of how the unexpected tornado hit on Tuesday (June 21), the freak weather leaving gaping holes in the roof of one home.

Now details of emerge of the tornado causing quite a commotion - but no serious damage - at Stoke Primary School, just off Ball Hill. The account came from Lynne Farren at the school and was sent to Steve Jackson, of Bablake Weather Station.

She said: "It was around 1pm. I was at Stoke Primary School, getting the children in after lunch. I suddenly saw the dust, twigs, etc swirl up across the playing field to the side of me. I got the few children to run up towards their classroom.

"It swirled across the field, the side of our all-weather pitch, making a loud howling sound, and rolled up onto the playground. Another member of staff got caught in it and could not move for maybe a minute or so. It carried on along the playground. It lasted at least five to six minutes."

Mr Jackson has said he will log the event in the Met Office diary.