12-07-2006, 02:14 PM
I think the same storm passed over my house, but luckily no tornado or micro-burst (downward wind). At least it was the same time roughly, and came and went very quickly. Awesome lightning. I'm in south east London, so it may have travelled a fair way, or it was another of a band of storms that came over London and the outlying areas.
Here's the AOL report:
At least six people were injured when a tornado ripped through a London suburb.
One man was taken to hospital with a head injury and five people were treated at the scene for minor injuries and shock.
The tornado struck Chamberlayne Road in Kensal Rise, north west London at 11.02am.
Video footage from a helicopter flying above the street showed part of the side of a house had collapsed, partially covering a car parked outside.
Trees were brought down in the street
The footage shown on Sky News also pictured several houses which had lost roof tiles, including one house where almost the entire roof had been peeled away.
A London Ambulance Service spokesman said the storm caused structural damage to a number of properties.
"We have sent four ambulances, two fast response cars and two officers to the scene.
"We have also activated the Helicopter Emergency Medical Service which carries a senior trauma-trained doctor and a paramedic.
"We have treated a man believed to be in his 50s for a head injury and have taken him to Central Middlesex hospital.
"We have also treated five adults at the scene for minor injuries and shock."
Tim Klotz, who works in entertainment and film and has recently moved to the street, said it happened right in front of his house.
He said: "It was like some sort of cyclone. I was actually in an attic room working at my desk on the computer and there was heavy rain and sleet and then the wind just really changed.
"I looked up through a skylight and debris was falling through the air. I heard what seemed like large, clay dominoes falling, which I think were roof tiles."
The 34-year-old, originally from New York, said it then went "a bit dark" so he went downstairs and heard a smash at the front of his house.
He said: "My house was very lucky because there was only a broken window and some damaged roof tiles, but another house had its roof peeled off and fences had come down along the street.
"It was right in front of my house. I must have been right in the middle of it. There are police and fire services here now but I cannot see any fires."
A spokesman for weather forecaster MeteoGroup said a band of strong storms came through, with Heathrow Airport recording gusts of 48 knots (55mph).
He said: "That is quite squally so residential areas might have had gusts of up to 60mph.
"It still seems to be very localised so it is either what is called a micro burst - a strong down-burst of wind - or a tornado, which is when the wind goes up."
Local resident Daniel Bidgood told BBC London 94.9: "I've witnessed my first tornado.
"I was in my living room and I heard a big crack of lightning and thunder, then as I went to the window I heard a sound which was like standing behind a jetliner.
"I could see a huge cloud rolling up the street, making this tremendous sound. I went to try to take a picture of it but a shower of debris smashed all the windows of my house."
Here's the AOL report:
At least six people were injured when a tornado ripped through a London suburb.
One man was taken to hospital with a head injury and five people were treated at the scene for minor injuries and shock.
The tornado struck Chamberlayne Road in Kensal Rise, north west London at 11.02am.
Video footage from a helicopter flying above the street showed part of the side of a house had collapsed, partially covering a car parked outside.
Trees were brought down in the street
The footage shown on Sky News also pictured several houses which had lost roof tiles, including one house where almost the entire roof had been peeled away.
A London Ambulance Service spokesman said the storm caused structural damage to a number of properties.
"We have sent four ambulances, two fast response cars and two officers to the scene.
"We have also activated the Helicopter Emergency Medical Service which carries a senior trauma-trained doctor and a paramedic.
"We have treated a man believed to be in his 50s for a head injury and have taken him to Central Middlesex hospital.
"We have also treated five adults at the scene for minor injuries and shock."
Tim Klotz, who works in entertainment and film and has recently moved to the street, said it happened right in front of his house.
He said: "It was like some sort of cyclone. I was actually in an attic room working at my desk on the computer and there was heavy rain and sleet and then the wind just really changed.
"I looked up through a skylight and debris was falling through the air. I heard what seemed like large, clay dominoes falling, which I think were roof tiles."
The 34-year-old, originally from New York, said it then went "a bit dark" so he went downstairs and heard a smash at the front of his house.
He said: "My house was very lucky because there was only a broken window and some damaged roof tiles, but another house had its roof peeled off and fences had come down along the street.
"It was right in front of my house. I must have been right in the middle of it. There are police and fire services here now but I cannot see any fires."
A spokesman for weather forecaster MeteoGroup said a band of strong storms came through, with Heathrow Airport recording gusts of 48 knots (55mph).
He said: "That is quite squally so residential areas might have had gusts of up to 60mph.
"It still seems to be very localised so it is either what is called a micro burst - a strong down-burst of wind - or a tornado, which is when the wind goes up."
Local resident Daniel Bidgood told BBC London 94.9: "I've witnessed my first tornado.
"I was in my living room and I heard a big crack of lightning and thunder, then as I went to the window I heard a sound which was like standing behind a jetliner.
"I could see a huge cloud rolling up the street, making this tremendous sound. I went to try to take a picture of it but a shower of debris smashed all the windows of my house."
TARBICvS/Jim Bowers
A A A DESEDO DESEDO!
A A A DESEDO DESEDO!
