Tornado reported in Luton during severe weather

A video shows the moment drivers on the M1 spotted a possible tornado during severe weather on Sunday.

Some are describing the strong, squally winds that hit Luton as a weak tornado, but it needs to be verified by experts at the Tornado and Storm Research Organisation (TORRO) before that can be confirmed.

There were also reports of a funnel cloud in the skies above Bedford at around 4pm on Sunday.

What is a tornado?

Tornadoes are one of the most destructive types of weather in the world.

They are rotating columns of air that form during severe weather like thunderstorms.

Tornadoes are born when spinning air within a cloud, called a vortex, reaches down towards the ground.

They can be very powerful with wind speeds typically reaching between 75 and 100 miles per hour.

But here in the UK, they tend to be quite small and short-lived.

In the UK they're not as rare as you might think! The UK, on average, gets 30 tornadoes each year, according to the Met Office.

What is a funnel cloud?

Funnel clouds are cone-shaped clouds that extend towards the ground from the base of a cloud.

They form in the same way as a tornado but do not reach the ground.

If it does reach the ground, it becomes a tornado, or if it reaches water it's known as a waterspout.

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