There is a “small chance” of a tornado today in the UK, the Met Office has told HuffPost UK, as Storm Éowyn (pronounced ‘ay-oh-win’) hits in full force.
The European Storm Forecast Experiment has also said there is a risk of tornadoes forming in the UK and issued a level 2 warning for the south, “mainly for severe wind gusts with a few tornado events possible”.
“A strong event cannot be ruled out,” it added, warning the highest risk areas are south of Bristol and London.
The Met Office has also issued red weather warnings for wind across Northern Ireland as well as central and southwestern areas of Scotland on Friday.
These are accompanied by wider amber and yellow warnings for wind, as well as yellow warnings for rain and snow.
Chief meteorologist Paul Gundersen said: “We reserve the issuing of Red Warnings for the most severe weather which represents a likely danger to life and severe disruption, and that is the case with Storm Éowyn.”
He said in Northern Ireland and central and southwestern parts of Scotland, it’s likely wind speeds could reach 80-90mph, and potentially up to 100mph for exposed coastlines.
After Storm Éowyn on Friday and early on Saturday, more wet and windy weather is likely on Sunday and at the start of next week, with further warnings issued.
Why might a tornado happen?
The Met Office told HuffPost UK there is a “small chance” of an isolated tornado today “as a squally front moves eastwards”.
This could happen in either Wales or central and/or southern parts of England, “but the chance in any one location is very low,” they added.
“Most areas will just experience a period of heavy rain and gusty winds, perhaps with some hail and thunder in places, before it clears to the North Sea during the afternoon.”
Around 30 tornadoes a year are reported in the UK but they are typically small and short-lived.
They can however can cause structural damage if they pass over built-up areas.