Parts of the UK have been struck by tornadoes today – with winds reaching up to 60mph. In some areas tiles were ripped off roofs, whilst in other areas the gusts were strong enough to upturn caravans and destroy bus shelters. There are pictures of the damage here, and you can watch the aftermath of the tornadoes here.
Each year the UK experiences an average of 33 tornadoes – but how do they form? See this excellent animated tornado guide from the BBC website for more information.
A tornado in the US has claimed 9 lives as it ripped through Greensburg, Kansas on Friday (4th May 2007). Around 90% of the small rural town of Greensburg has been destroyed. Greensburg, is in Tornado Alley, the central part of the US which is frequently hit by tornadoes. Stunning video footage of the tornado (courtesey of Sky News http://news.sky.com) can be seen here.
9 people were killed just under two weeks ago when a strong tornado struck a small Texan community on the US border before passing into Mexico.
Find out more about these deadly natural phenomenum in this Tornadoes special from CNN with quizzes, photos and tornado facts and figures.
Stunning images of tornadoes can be found in the NOAA Tornadoes Photo library.
GeoBlogBytes 
