Pictures: Storm Gerrit ‘Mini Tornado’ Strikes, Destroying Roofs and Leaving Thousands Without Power

Storm Gerrit battered the United Kingdom on Wednesday, destroying homes and a passenger train, and leaving thousands without electricity across Scotland and England.

Roofs were torn from residential properties in Stalybridge, in Tameside Manchester after what was described as a localised “mini tornado” landed as part of Storm Gerrit, which has battered the country with high winds, rain, and in some areas heavy snowfall. There is some good news, however, as no fatalities are reported despite the damage.

Falling trees were a major hazard as they fell onto roads, across power lines, and in at least one case across a railway. Member of the Scottish Parliament Paul Sweeney posted images from the scene where a ScotRail-operated InterCity High-Speed Train of 1970s vintage hit a tree that had fallen onto the tracks at Broughty Ferry on the way to Dundee.

Horrendous tree impact damage to a ScotRail InterCity 125 locomotive today, en route from Dundee to Glasgow. Thankfully, the driver is unharmed.

Whilst a British railway icon, the crashworthiness of the 125 does not meet modern standards. The driver's cab is a fibreglass shell. pic.twitter.com/dwn3nmjAaZ

— Paul Sweeney (@PaulJSweeney) December 27, 2023

Last night a supercell thunderstorm crossed Greater Manchester causing damage.
We know from our Dopplar radar that it had a strong rotating updraft. Whilst we don't yet have surface data to confirm, the presence of these features suggests a tornado at the surface was likely 🌪️ pic.twitter.com/XEG1TkKbjN

— Met Office (@metoffice) December 28, 2023

Despite the considerable damage sustained by the leading engine, the driver had time to react and was not injured. Rail routes across the UK remain out of action including the Dundee line, and in some areas the tracks have been totally covered with flood water.

Around 14,000 houses are still without power as of Thursday morning, and 31,000 had their power reconnected already, the BBC reports.

In Stalybridge, in Tameside Manchester hundreds of people have been evacuated after the storm caused considerably localised damage, including roofs torn from buildings and cars crushed by falling masonry. Residents describing the “mini tornado” said a strong roaring lasted around 30 seconds and tore lead flashing from roofs. Around 100 homes are thought to have been damaged in all.

Dukinfield Town Hall has been opened to offer shelter to the displaced.

Tornados are extremely rare in the United Kingdom, where the environmental and meteorological conditions don’t generally support their formation. The Met Office said of the phenomenon this morning that: “Last night a supercell thunderstorm crossed Greater Manchester causing damage.

“We know from our Dopplar radar that it had a strong rotating updraft. Whilst we don’t yet have surface data to confirm, the presence of these features suggests a tornado at the surface was likely.”

The Met said a supercell thunder storm was still in effect over Morecambe Bay, Lancashire, and “In addition to heavy rain and some hail, frequent lightning and strong and gusty winds may affect parts of [Lancashire] in the next hour or so”.