DRAMATIC footage captured a tornado tearing through a soft play centre leaving children and parents “upset and traumatised.”
CCTV shows the twister shattering ceiling lights at Kids Zone in Worksop, Nottingham, last Tuesday.
The mini-tornado, known as the ‘dust devil’ ripped several glass skylights from the play centre’s ceiling, showering debris both inside the play area and in the car park outside.
The chaos erupted at precisely 2.45pm, as families enjoyed a seemingly ordinary day out.
Shocking clips shared on social media show the twister moving menacingly through the car park, causing chaos as shattered glass crashed to the ground.
Inside, water gushed through the devastated roof, drenching the soft play centre and sending panicked parents scrambling to protect their children.
Owner Graeme Murray recounted the horrifying ordeal, telling the BBC: “There was just this almighty freak gust of wind and it lifted our roof.
“The majority of the glass was deposited on the car park. We were open at the time and there were people in there.
“A lot were upset and traumatised, but nobody was injured.”
Despite the utter devastation, miraculously, no one was hurt.
However, the emotional scars left by the terrifying twister are undeniable.
The incredible footage, which has since gone viral, has left local residents and Brits across the UK in disbelief.
One stunned commenter wrote: “That weather change happened quickly and the clouds were very dark.
“Well done to the staff for trying to manage the aftermath as it was clearly very distressing.”
Others have shared their concerns and well wishes for those at the scene,
They wrote: “Oh my goodness, you can clearly see the tornado. Hope you are all ok and no one was hurt x.”
While a third expressed sympathy: “So glad everyone got out okay, we are so sorry this has happened to you.”
Dust devils, while similar to tornadoes, are typically confined to arid desert regions.
They form when hot air rapidly rises through cooler air, creating a swirling vortex that can cause localized havoc.
Unlike their more destructive counterparts, dust devils grow upwards from the ground rather than descending from storm clouds and usually last only a few minutes.
BBC weather expert Anna Church explained: “It was a very unsettled start to the week, with parts of Nottinghamshire experiencing half a month’s rainfall in 24 hours.
“These intensified directly over Worksop, which would have produced some strong up draughts. As a result, there may have been a brief tornado at the time.”
In the wake of the disaster, Kids Zone is now working with insurers to assess the full extent of the damage and initiate repairs.
Murray reassured the community, he said: “It was so localised – it was only us and our neighbours who sustained any damage.”
As the clean-up continues, the families affected by this rare and terrifying event are left grappling with the aftermath.
The bizarre and unexpected twist of nature serves as a stark reminder of the unpredictable UK weather.
Meanwhile, just days after this terrifying mini-tornado, Brits can expect to swelter in 31c heat in light of four health alerts that came into force yesterday.
The Met Office says there’s a chance the mercury will hit 31C in London on Friday, with the likes of Norwich, Birmingham and Hull expected to enjoy temperatures just a couple of degrees lower.
But, in a reminder to Brits to still take care in the summer conditions, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has placed yellow heat alerts in four locations.
Elsewhere, with the soaring temperatures unfortunately comes unwanted pests, but luckily a pest control expert has revealed five cheap plants that will keep flies and mosquitoes out of your house.
Definition:
A tornado is a rapidly rotating column of air that extends from the base of a storm cloud to the Earth’s surface. It forms under very unsettled weather conditions, typically as part of severe thunderstorms.
Appearance:
– Tornadoes usually have a funnel-shaped cloud extending from the cloud base to the ground.
– They can also appear rope-like, especially when weakening, or almost invisible except for debris.
Size and Intensity:
– Typical tornadoes are 20 to 100 meters wide, last a few minutes, and have tracks around 1.6 km long.
– Wind speeds range from 120 to 180 km/h.
– Rare, large tornadoes can be over 3.2 km wide, track for over 100 km, and have wind speeds exceeding 480 km/h.
– Damage is localized, limited to the tornado’s track.
How likely it is to see one in the UK:
– The UK experiences about 30 small, short-lived tornadoes annually.
Impacts:
– Large tornadoes can cause billions in damage, destroy thousands of homes, and result in loss of life.
– The UK collaborates with the NOAA to improve tornado forecasting and warnings.
