GALLERY: Destruction after tornado hits Notts

A barrage of winds destroyed chimneys, damaged vehicles and sent roof tiles flying through the area like paper, residents described.

The tornado to hit Meden Vale yesterdayw as one of several mini cyclones scattered around the midlands.

Our gallery shows the destruction around the village, as well as images of the tornado itself.

Darren Brown snapped the tornado appear in the Bellamy estate, Mansfield.

He said: “I was walking my dog and I thought it was a cloud – turned out it wasn’t.

Danny Smith pictured the twister in Meden Vale.

The owner of Chase Trade Autos in the village said: “A technician was working on an interior outside and asked to use our workshop as it was really windy. I said it’s nice out, and looked at our CCTV and all the leaves of the trees were flying everywhere and rain all over.

“We went to our workshop shutter door and it was like being on a ship with water flying through the doors suddenly.

“A sign was ripped off the building and flew into the gargage - the whole roof shook. After it finished we went outside and it was awful, over £4,000 damage - our totum pole sign which is cost £2,000 had been bent over flat to the ground.

“We saw a fiesta with a chimney stack on it, a trampoline in a hedge - the three lions pub was smashed all over. I’ve never seen anything like it.”

Strong winds also caused damage in Sutton and Kirby, with reports of bins flying into a womans car as she was driving, and one man discovered a neighbour’s gazebo in his garden.

Neighbours in Caunton Close were left clearing up the damage today and described the sudden winds as ‘terrifying’.

Georgina Carter said: “It was more than a wind, it was an absolute whirlwind.

“As many as 12 houses were damaged around us. Roof tiles are gone, chimneys hanging off. It was very scary.

“It was a completely normal day and then it just got windier and windier. It just happened in a second, things went whirling around, things were flying.

One house was startled as a trampoline flew from one of their neighbours’ gardens, straight across their own and into another, crashing into a shed.

Jill Hunt said: “It was blowing and the tiles were flying around like sheets of paper. It was terrifying.”

“I was shocked when I came out and found the trampoline, I’m glad it hasn’t come through the conservatory.

Her husband Kevin Hunt spent the afternoon assessing the damage to his roof and motorhome.

He said: “I’m just trying to make it safe in case there’s any more wind tonight.

“We’ve had some roof tiles come down, the arial off, there’s a few thousand pounds of damage to the van.”

Their grandson Jude Clarke, two, said the wind was scary. “It was really blowing,” he said.

The tornado is one of several to hit without warning around the Midlands yesterday afternoon.

A tree was also felled in Retford and in Wales 20 mobile homes are reported turned over at a caravan park.

The Met Office has a yellow weather warning in place for wind in place until 5pm.

The Chief Forecaster noted this morning: “A brief spell of very strong winds is expected as a line of heavy rain moves eastwards over the UK during Thursday afternoon. Whilst most places will miss the worst a few spots may see gusts in excess of 70 mph.

They added there was a ‘very low likelihood’ of disruption to travel and falling trees and debris.

“The strongest winds are very localised so many places will not see disruption.”

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