Tornado confirmed in Littlehampton as south braces for more flooding
Mike Pearse reports on the clean-up operation in Littlehampton, Wick and Bognor Regis.
Strong winds which hit the Sussex town of Littlehampton have been confirmed as a tornado.
Roof tiles were ripped off and buildings damaged as the storm hit homes in the Wick area between 6 and 7.30pm on Saturday.
Today the Tornado and Storm Research Organisation, ( TORRO) confirmed that their preliminary inquiries indicated a tornado had occured.
A statement on their website reads: "TORRO Site Investigators Sarah Horton and Tony Gilbert carried out a detailed Site Investigation on Sunday 29th October 2023 to assess the damage path and type of damage.
"While the full details are yet to be analysed, a tornado has been confirmed with a provisional rating of T4."
T4 indicates a wind speed of between 115-136 mph.
It comes as more flood warnings have been issued along parts of the south coast with Storm Ciaran due to hit on Thursday.
It follows severe flooding that hit Hastings town centre on Saturday, forcing the shopping centre to be evacuated.
Residents spoke of phenomenal winds hitting properties between 6pm and 7pm.
Several people posted images of damage to buildings and gardens, with one woman showing a garden shed which had been blown into her garden.
Sarah Afiya described hearing a terrifying whooshing sound as she sat down to watch a scary film with her family.
"The wind was howling and the lights flickered, then car alarms started going off," she said.
"Then we heard a loud smash and realised a shed had landed in our garden. It's like the Wizard of Oz.
"We wondered if there was a witch underneath with her legs sticking out!"
Thankfully there were no reports of any injuries, but other homeowners are having to repair damage to roofs and gardens.
One property in North Street had its roof completely ripped off while others lost tiles and fences.
And James Stephenson posted footage of the tornado hitting his garden, his Ring camera footage showing the moment the winds hit.
"It lasted seconds but the damage was unbelievable in such a short space of time," he said. "At least £2k damage to the garden, but it could be worse as some have lost roofs."
The weather caused the annual bonfire and parade to be cancelled. Members of the Littlehampton Bonfire Society Limited said they were "devastated".
The Environment Agency said further flooding was expected across areas of Hampshire, Sussex, Dorset and the Isle of Wight this weekend.
On the Isle of Wight, heavy rain flooding the railway between Ryde Pier Head and Shanklin, has caused all lines to be blocked.
Train services running to and from these stations have been suspended.
Disruption is expected until the end of the day on 1 November.
South Western Rail said rail replacement transport would operate between Ryde Esplanade and Shanklin.
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