After the driest spring start in over 60 years, scientists have warned that a tornado might strike areas of the UK as rain pelts the south.
As of May 16, the UK had received 80.6 mm of rain so far this spring, which is about 20 mm less than the season-long record of 100.7 mm established in 1852.
Alex Burkill, a meteorologist with the Met Office, stated on Wednesday there is a risk of thunder, lightning and hail in the UK’s southern regions.
He said “it’s not out of the question that we could see a funnel cloud, maybe even a brief tornado across parts of the South East” in the upcoming days.
With heavy showers in the south today there's a risk of thunder and lightning, and possibly some short-lived funnel clouds or even a brief tornado. 🌩⚡
— Met Office (@metoffice) May 21, 2025
Just how rare are tornadoes in the UK?https://t.co/a6M4hr4l0V
Tornadoes in the UK are more common than we think. According to the Met Office, around 30 tornadoes are reported across the British Isles each year.
As tornadoes usually need to be identified by humans, there's also a chance that more have taken place without us knowing.
How are tornadoes formed?
Tornadoes come in many shapes and sizes and are often formed during severe thunderstorms, sometimes known as supercell thunderstorms.
Differences in temperature between the atmosphere help this current of air spin, and then changing wind direction makes it rotate horizontally.
More wind then tilts the rotating air column downwards, leading to the formation of a tornado dropping down from the clouds.
Tornadoes can be slim or can be very wide in diameter, with the largest tornado being 2.6 miles wide.
In the UK, tornadoes usually only cause light damage and have weak power, unlike more reported incidents of tornadoes happening in the US.
Why does the UK have tornadoes?
According to The Conversation, the UK has three "tornado alleys".
A tornado alley is an area where cold and warm air clash, making it a prime spot for the creation of tornadoes. Most of these areas are located in southern England.
The most famous tornado alley runs down the center of the United States and is where most powerful tornadoes strike the US.
Scientists admitted that they still didn't quite know why the UK had such a high frequency of weak tornadoes. There's also a lot less research taking place on UK tornadoes in comparison to other regions like the US.
The Greater Manchester incident is one of the more severe tornadoes to hit the UK.
The Met Office said: “Around 30 tornadoes a year are reported in the UK. These are typically small and short-lived, but can cause structural damage if they pass over built-up areas.”
