Shocking tornado rips through UK fabric play centre, smashing roof lights and leaving children ‘traumatised’

DRAMATIC footage has shown a tornado ripping through a play centre, leaving children and parents “devastated and traumatised”.

CCTV shows the tornado smashing ceiling lights at the Kids Zone in Worksop, Nottingham, last Tuesday.

The mini-tornado, known as the “dust devil,” ripped several glass skylights from the ceiling of the play center, sending debris flying inside the playground and into the parking lot outside.

The chaos erupted at precisely 2:45 p.m., as families were enjoying a seemingly ordinary day.

Shocking clips shared on social media show the tornado moving menacingly through the car park, causing chaos as shards of glass crashed to the ground.

Inside, water seeped through the damaged roof, flooding the playground and forcing panicked parents to scramble to protect their children.

Homeowner Graeme Murray recounted the horrific ordeal, telling the BBC: “There was this powerful gust of wind that lifted our roof off.

“Most of the glass debris was dumped in the parking lot. We were open at the time and there were people in there.

“Many were upset and traumatized, but no one was injured.”

Despite the scale of the devastation, miraculously no one was injured.

However, the emotional scars left by this terrifying tornado are undeniable.

The incredible footage, which has since gone viral, has left local residents and Britons across the UK in disbelief.

One stunned commenter wrote: “This weather change happened quickly and the clouds were very dark.

“Kudos to the staff for trying to manage the aftermath, because it was clearly very distressing.”

Others shared their concerns and wishes for happiness for those present at the scene,

They wrote: “Oh my god you can clearly see the tornado. I hope you are all okay and no one got hurt x.”

While a third expressed sympathy: “I’m so glad everyone got away with it, we’re really sorry this happened to you.”

Dust devils, although similar to tornadoes, are generally confined to arid desert regions.

They form when warm air rises rapidly through colder air, creating a swirling vortex that can cause localized havoc.

Unlike their more destructive counterparts, dust devils push upward from the ground rather than descending from storm clouds, and typically only last a few minutes.

BBC weather expert Anna Church said: “It’s been a very unstable start to the week, with parts of Nottinghamshire experiencing half a month’s worth of rainfall in 24 hours.

“These storms intensified directly over Worksop, which must have produced strong updrafts. So there may have been a brief tornado at that time.”

Following the disaster, Kids Zone is now working with insurers to assess the full extent of the damage and begin repairs.

Murray reassured the community: “It was so localized, only us and our neighbors suffered damage.”

As the cleanup continues, families affected by this rare and terrifying event must deal with the aftermath.

The bizarre and unexpected upheavals of nature are a cruel reminder of the unpredictable nature of the British climate.

Meanwhile, just days after that terrifying mini-tornado, Britons can expect to swelter in 31C heat in light of four health warnings that came into force yesterday.

The Met Office says there is a chance the mercury will hit 31C in London on Friday, while cities including Norwich, Birmingham and Hull are expected to see temperatures just a few degrees lower.

But, to remind Britons to continue to be careful of summer conditions, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has issued yellow heat alerts in four locations.

Elsewhere, with rising temperatures unfortunately comes unwanted pests, but luckily a pest control expert has revealed five cheap plants that will keep flies and mosquitoes away from your home.

What is a tornado?

Definition:

A tornado is a rapidly rotating column of air that extends from the base of a thundercloud to the Earth’s surface. It forms in very unstable weather conditions, usually during severe thunderstorms.

Appearance:

– Tornadoes typically have a funnel-shaped cloud extending from the base of the cloud to the ground.

– They can also appear as strings, especially when weakened, or almost invisible except for debris.

Size and intensity:

– Typical tornadoes are 20 to 100 meters wide, last a few minutes, and have paths about 1 mile long.

– Wind speed varies from 120 to 180 km/h.

– Rare, large tornadoes can be over 2 miles (3.2 km) wide, travel over 60 miles (100 km) and have winds reaching over 300 mph (480 km/h).

– The damage is localized, limited to the trajectory of the tornado.

How likely are you to see one in the UK:

– The UK experiences around 30 small, short-lived tornadoes each year.

Impacts:

– Large tornadoes can cause billions in damage, destroy thousands of homes and cause loss of life.

– The UK is working with NOAA to improve tornado forecasts and warnings.