A tornado has destroyed 100 homes in a UK town as Brits brace themselves for more post-Christmas travel chaos.
The tornado hit Stalybridge in Tameside where it caused widespread damage to homes and local properties.
The incident happened after Storm Gerrit swept through the UK bringing with it high winds and snow in some parts of Scotland. Thousands of homes were also left without power leaving some residents with no electricity in the build-up to the New Year.
Storm Gerrit also caused widespread flooding on main roads making driving conditions hazardous as drivers battled high winds and plummeting temperatures.
Following the incident in Stalybridge, Greater Manchester Police confirmed the area had been hit by a tornado but said no injuries had been reported. They said: “It is believed the damage caused was due to a localised tornado.
“GMP declared this as a major incident due to the severity of the damage caused and potential risk to public safety.
“From our initial enquiries and updates from partners at the North West Ambulance Service and Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service, there have thankfully been no injuries reported.”
In a statement, Chief Superintendent Mark Dexter confirmed that several residents had been “displaced” from their homes overnight and could not confirm when the situation would “return to normal”.
Chief Superintendent Dexter explained: “This incident has undoubtedly affected numerous people in the Stalybridge area with many residents displaced from their properties during the night.
“Our highest priority is keeping people safe which is why we are advising those who have been displaced not to return or enter their properties which have significant damage until they have been assessed by structural engineers.
“I would also like to urge members of the public to avoid the area where possible and take extra care when travelling in vehicles on the roads in Stalybridge and the surrounding areas, due to debris in the road.
“This has understandably caused some disruption and, though we are not yet in a position to confirm when the area will return to normal, further updates will be communicated when we have them.”
As a result of the severe weather in recent days, Brits are bracing for more travel chaos as both the road and railway network recover from the impact of Storm Gerrit.
In response to Storm Gerrit, the Environment Agency has put in 19 flood alerts which mean flooding is still expected across England.
Meanwhile, train operators LNER and Avanti West Coast have advised customers not to travel due to the weather while Network Rail Scotland has imposed speed restrictions.
Elsewhere, East Midlands Railway confirmed it was unable to run some services into London while Thameslink trains have also experienced delays due to the extreme weather.
