A major incident has been declared after a tornado ripped through parts of Manchester, shattering windows and forcing residents to flee their homes.
The “localised tornado” damaged more than 100 properties and uprooted trees as it hit the town of Tameside on Thursday night.
Greater Manchester Police declared a major incident at around 11.45pm after reports of significant damage in the area.
Storm Gerrit was named by the Met Office on Wednesday and has since battered the country with 70mph winds and heavy rainfall.
People have faced difficulty getting back home from Christmas celebrations as the storm wreaked travel chaos. British Airways has cancelled over 20 flights to and from Heathrow on Thursday while Scotrail has announced the closure of several major lines, including between Aberdeen and Edinburgh.
The Met Office say the tornado was caused as a supercell thunderstorm which passed over the area. A supercell is a storm which feeds off a rising current of air, named an updraft, that is slanted or rotating.
People have been advised to avoid travelling in and around Stalybridge on Thursday due to debris in the road following the localised tornado. Greater Manchester Police said those who have had to leave their homes cannot return until their properties have been assessed by an engineer.
Strong winds uprooted trees leading to futher destruction— (Ioannis Alexopoulos/LNP)
Describing the tornado, one social media user said: “We heard the loud bangs and rumbles as it came across.”
Julie Ann Fielding from Stalybridge said the ordeal lasted around 10 minutes and she watched emergency services attend the scene.
She said: “Hail, rain. Never experienced anything like it.
“I thought the windows were coming through. Fence panels ripped right up and out. Roof opposite has been ripped off and severely damaged a lot of the cars.”
One man shared shocking footage of the destruction of his conservatory.
He said on X: “My ears are still ringing like I’ve been to a gig! The funnel moved down our street and it was so loud that it went silent for a moment, it was weird as hell.”
Chief Superintendent Mark Dexter from GMP said: “This incident has undoubtedly affected numerous people in the Stalybridge area with many residents displaced from their properties during the night.
“Our highest priority is keeping people safe which is why we are advising those who have been displaced not to return or enter their properties which have significant damage until they have been assessed by structural engineers.
No injuries have been reported during the incident.
The tornado comes as Storm Gerrit reaps havoc across the UK causing widespread travel disruption, with trains and flights cancelled.
Parts of Scotland experienced significant heavy snow with Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) saying workers had been dealing with wind speeds of 80mph in some coastal areas as they worked to reconnect customers.
