UK weather: Storm Aurore to bring 2 inches of rain and 70mph gales as amber warning issued and ‘tornado’ strikes Britain

STORM Aurore is set to bring two inches of rain and 70mph gales as an amber weather warning is issued.

It comes after what appeared to be a tornado ripped through Britain.

What appeared to be a tornado brought down walls

ReutersNewhaven harbour lashed by waves as Storm Aurore approaches[/caption]

Storm Aurore is forecast to hit the south of the UK

The storm is set to lash southern part of the UK bringing with it a barrage of wind and rain.

The amber alert issued by the Met Office includes large parts of southern England.

Forecasters said the worst of the weather will have ended by 3am – however there could be flooding tomorrow morning.

More than two inches of rain could fall within just two hours.

The Met Office amber alert states: “Some very heavy rain will occur during Wednesday evening and night, with 20-30 mm of rain possible in an hour and locally 60 mm in 2-3 hours.

“This will lead to surface water flooding particularly if the heaviest rain occurs over larger towns and cities.

“Homes and businesses are likely to be flooded, causing damage to some buildings. Delays and some cancellations to train and bus services are likely.

“Spray and flooding probably leading to difficult driving conditions and some road closures. Power cuts and loss of other services to some homes and businesses likely.”

It comes after high winds sent trees sent crashing to the ground and brick walls destroyed.

Shocking footage has revealed the trail of destruction in Widnes in Cheshire after it was walloped by the 30-second twister with roof tiles, garden furniture and wheelie bins strewn across residential streets.

Wind gusts of up to 70mph are expected on the Channel Islands tonight as a yellow weather warning for heavy rain in the south of England is in place until 3am on Thursday.

MeteoFrance said Storm Aurore is responsible for the barrage of rain and heavy winds battering the UK.

Met Office forecaster Becky Mitchell, said: “We’ve got yellow rain warnings in place which will last for the rest of Wednesday until 3am on Thursday, covering the southern counties and the Channel Islands.

“Heavy and persistent rainfall will fall in the areas covered by the warning, mostly between 15-25mm, but some places will see potentially 30mm or higher along with some rumblings of thunder.

“There’s also likely to be very strong winds, typically around 45mph on the coasts, reaching 70mph in the Channel Islands.

“This may cause some disruption to commuters tomorrow morning, as some places will see some flooding- while the impact of thunder could cause power cuts.”

Up to two inches of rain is possible in parts of Britain over the next 48 hours.

There will be heavy rain, thunderstorms and “very gusty winds” this morning, the Met Office said.

“A band of heavy & thundery rain is currently moving across south west England, Wales and the Midlands,” the forecaster said.

“The rain is accompanied by some gusty winds which will give difficult travelling conditions in places.

“There is a small chance that homes and businesses could be flooded quickly, with damage to some buildings from floodwater, lightning strikes, hail or strong winds.

DISRUPTION FOR COMMUTERS

“Spray and sudden flooding could lead to difficult driving conditions and some road closures.”

In places windows were smashed in by the force of the winds that battered Britain.

BBC weatherman and meteorologist Simon King said on Twitter: “Looking at the damage, it’s likely there was a tornado in Widnes this afternoon…”

One resident said he saw a trampoline flying 150ft in the air, while a car window was apparently smashed by a pillar from someone’s garden.

Trees have been ripped out of the ground, with one video showing a huge uprooted trunk lying in someone’s front garden, and house windows were shattered by the force of the wind.

Local resident Claire Earnshaw shared footage of the carnage and described the scene as “total devastation”.

David Nevitt added: “I personally feel really lucky, my family and house are okay.

“There’s an area nearby which has been hit really badly, they will be devastated by the damage. We very rarely get bad weather.”

Dom Smith told the Liverpool Echo: “It was driving down the back lane obviously and the next minute bins started flying in the air, trees going.

“Within about 20-30 seconds it was back to normal.”

Elliot, Dom’s son, added: “It came out of nowhere and then left. It came and disappeared.”

Lynn Fraser said the tornado sounded like an “aeroplane engine whirring”.

She said: “The next minute I could hear crashing and things smashing. I thought it was a house that had blown up or a bomb that had blown up.”

A spokesman for the Met Office told The Sun Online the weather conditions in Widnes meant a tornado was “possible” around midday.

“Tornadoes are not uncommon in the UK and we get, on average, around 35 per year, though numbers can vary markedly from year-to-year.”

A yellow weather warning has been issued for parts of the UK including London, Birmingham and Cardiff, with two days of heavy downpours expected.

FLOOD RESCUE

An elderly woman was hospitalised after being struck by a fence blown over in the heavy winds in Heath, Cardiff on Wednesday afternoon.

And a terrified driver had to be rescued from a car which was trapped in surging floods as torrential rain swamped many parts of Britain this morning.

Fire crews in Fowey, Cornwall battled through the floodwater to reach the car shortly after 7am.

Cornwall Fire and Rescue tweeted: “Vehicle left the road after hitting flood water.

“Driver not injured but had to be helped from the car due to the depth of the water and the position of the vehicle.”

Many regions were lashed by storms, with thunder and lightning adding to the chaos.

The are four flood warnings and 16 flood alerts in England, while there are two warnings and eight alerts in Wales.

In Devon, there’s a flood warning for River Avon at South Brent, Avonwick and Aveton Gifford.

A pile-up blocked the M5 southbound carriageway this morning from Junction 30 to Junction 31 at Exeter.

And the A38 was blocked by another accident near Exeter Racecourse.

Many river levels are rising rapidly – the Environment Agency issued several flood warnings, including one for residents living near the Frome in Maiden Newton, Dorset.

With the storms came strong winds, which have hit power supplies in many areas.

More than 375 homes are without electricity in Midsomer Norton, Somerset, this morning, and around 80 have been blacked out at Merthyr Tydfil in South Wales.

Police have warned motorists to slow down because many roads are flooded.

SNOW’S A GO

Meanwhile snow is expected to hit tomorrow – and it’s likely to stay chilly until the end of the month.

The first flurry of snow for the country is due on Thursday, but thankfully for many of us we will be unaffected by headaches that snowfall can cause.

Met Office forecaster Annie Shuttleworth said: “On Wednesday night we will see a front move south through the UK, and that could bring with it some snow.

“But this is restricted to high ground in Scotland. For most of us we will see rain in that front.”

The cold snap is tipped to last until Halloween, with hail and rain blowing in on an Arctic chill.

The Met Office’s long-range weather forecast said temperatures are likely to drop into next week.

Mickey Kelly/Triangle NewsA tornado appears to have hit the UK as the country is battered by storms[/caption]

Trees have been uprooted and brick walls have fallen down in the ‘tornado’

Footage shows the moment the tornado hit the Cheshire town

AlamyHeavy rain and strong winds will hit today[/caption]

AlamyAfter today’s rain, snow is expected tomorrow[/caption]