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 series of earthquakes (including the strongest recorded this year at 8.4 on the richter scale) have been experienced off of the coast of Sumatra (Indonesia). There have been tsunamis warning and the area is still underthreat as aftershocks continue. Buildings have collapsed and a rescue operation is underway. Year 9 in particular should be keeping a close eye on this in the news! Remind yourself here of how earthquakes happen. You can read more about both earthquakes and their aftermath in the following BBC reports:
GeoBlogBytes 