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Tornado Hits North London
Sky News ^ | December 07, 2006

Posted on 12/07/2006 5:31:00 AM PST by Mrs Ivan

A tornado has hit a North London street, injuring six people and severely damaging houses, cars and street furniture.

Eyewitnesses said it lasted only a few seconds, but it ripped off entire roofs and tore down the walls of houses.

Emergency services were sent to the scene in Harlesden, north west London, after reports came in at 11am.

Resident James Miles told Sky News the experience had been "very, very frightening".

Tornado was 'frightening' "I was talking outside with a friend when all of a sudden there was a flash of lightning and a huge big bang, then two minutes later this horrendous tornado shot right across," he said.

"Slates were flying everywhere onto people's houses and cars.

"It's really nasty. A lot of people are shaken up. It's not the sort of thing that happens in central London."

More follows...


TOPICS: Weather; Weird Stuff
KEYWORDS: london; tornado; uk
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I know our weather is usually a little tame when compared with you folks, but every now and then something unusual happens.

There are some good pictures of the damage.

1 posted on 12/07/2006 5:31:03 AM PST by Mrs Ivan
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To: Mrs Ivan

They were showing it on the news this morning here. The say it's been some 20 years since your last tornado.


2 posted on 12/07/2006 5:33:54 AM PST by cripplecreek (If stupidity got us into this mess, then why can't it get us out?)
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To: Mrs Ivan
Did it hit Hampstead, dear? :)

oh please oh please oh please oh please

Love, Ivan

3 posted on 12/07/2006 5:37:02 AM PST by MadIvan (I aim to misbehave.)
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To: Mrs Ivan

Did it drop a house on Red Ken's sister?


4 posted on 12/07/2006 5:39:05 AM PST by Tijeras_Slim
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To: cripplecreek
They're a bit more common in the UK than that, although I think they are usually fairly weak.

The FAQs on Torro (The Tornado and Storm Research Organisation) website suggest that an average of 33 happen each year. They also list (very generally) the most usual areas in which they occur.

5 posted on 12/07/2006 5:41:43 AM PST by Mrs Ivan (English, and damned proud of it.)
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To: cripplecreek

I once saw a waterspout off the coast of Devon. Absolutely beautiful.


6 posted on 12/07/2006 5:48:56 AM PST by alnitak ("That kid's about as sharp as a pound of wet liver" - Foghorn Leghorn)
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To: Mrs Ivan

Glad you two are OK!


7 posted on 12/07/2006 5:50:39 AM PST by Fierce Allegiance (SAY NO TO RUDY!)
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To: Mrs Ivan; cripplecreek
From your link

When land areas are taken into account, the United Kingdom actually has the highest frequency of reported tornadoes per unit area in the world. This was first recognised by an American meteorologist, Dr. T. Fujita, in 1973.

8 posted on 12/07/2006 5:51:46 AM PST by alnitak ("That kid's about as sharp as a pound of wet liver" - Foghorn Leghorn)
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To: Mrs Ivan

It wasn't a tornado. It was Lord Voldemort and his Death Eaters.


9 posted on 12/07/2006 5:51:59 AM PST by CholeraJoe (Spork weasels ain't afraid of nuthin' but running out of sardines.)
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To: alnitak

I've read that tornados can occur pretty much anywhere but The USA and India are the most common places.


10 posted on 12/07/2006 5:54:02 AM PST by cripplecreek (If stupidity got us into this mess, then why can't it get us out?)
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To: Fierce Allegiance
Thank you, that's very kind. Though right now I am in Germany and Ivan is near the South coast.

I do hope that the weird weather doesn't delay my flight home tonight.

11 posted on 12/07/2006 5:54:35 AM PST by Mrs Ivan (English, and damned proud of it.)
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To: Mrs Ivan

I was in the UK in 1987 when they had a hurricane force windstorm. It did a lot more damage than this all over the country. Massive trees fallen all over (6 of the oaks at Seven Oaks went down, Kew Gardens was hit hard). Getting anyway the day after was a nightmare because of all the fallen trees. I don't recall anyone blaming global warming back then.


12 posted on 12/07/2006 7:22:10 AM PST by Grig
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To: alnitak; All
In a related article: UK has 'highest tornado rate' in the world
13 posted on 12/07/2006 7:43:25 AM PST by Mrs Ivan (English, and damned proud of it.)
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To: Mrs Ivan

Tornadoes in England? What will they think of next?


14 posted on 12/07/2006 9:54:28 AM PST by arthurus (Better to fight them over THERE than over HERE)
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To: Mrs Ivan

What next? Dogs sleepin with cats?


15 posted on 12/07/2006 9:55:11 AM PST by silverleaf (Fasten your seat belts- it's going to be a BUMPY ride.)
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To: cripplecreek
The say it's been some 20 years since your last tornado.

I point out this recent article.

The UK has the highest number of reported tornadoes for its land area of any country in the world, experts say. Just last Tuesday, a mini tornado blasted through the village of Bowstreet in Ceredigion, west Wales, causing thousands of pounds worth of damage to homes and other buildings and flattening trees and fences. Dr Terence Meaden, deputy head of the Tornado and Storm Research Organisation (Torro), said about 70 tornadoes were reported across the UK in 2004 and 2005, with 40 this year.

Dr T Theodore Fujita, an American meteorologist, first recognised the UK as the top site for tornadoes in 1973, and Torro had confirmed his findings ever since, Dr Meaden said.

From http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=421156&in_page_id=1770

16 posted on 12/07/2006 10:43:54 AM PST by Ben Mugged (Always cheat; always win. The only unfair fight is the one you lose.)
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To: CholeraJoe
It wasn't a tornado. It was Lord Voldemort and his Death Eaters.

lol.

17 posted on 12/07/2006 11:50:56 AM PST by Mrs Ivan (English, and damned proud of it.)
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To: Mrs Ivan
Well look here!  It's caused by...guess what?  That's right.  GLOBAL WARMING!

From the link....

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/news/article-23377242-details/Tornado+tears+through+London+street/article.do

Colin Brewer, who lives in nearby Trevelyan Gardens, told the BBC: "It was really, really incredible. All of a sudden I saw a swirl starting to form and then, it was amazing, but it then touched land.

"I then saw clumps of all sorts of things flying into the air."

Dawn Butler, the Labour MP for Brent South, said she believed the tornado was a sign that climate change was having an effect.

18 posted on 12/08/2006 4:54:02 AM PST by DH (The government writes no bill that does not line the pockets of special interests.)
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To: Mrs Ivan

The left wing blogs are of course blaming this on global warming. It`s gotten to the point that any unusual weather event has to be caused by global warming. The weather must be absolutely normal (for a given time of year) 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. No variation whatsoever permitted.


19 posted on 12/08/2006 5:36:08 AM PST by chessplayer
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To: DH; chessplayer
GLOBAL WARMING!

I wondered how long it wold be before someone blamed that!

Not long enough. :)

20 posted on 12/08/2006 8:47:31 AM PST by Mrs Ivan (English, and damned proud of it.)
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