Tornado damages zoo and properties in Hampshire

A tornado swept done areas of Hampshire leaving a zoo, properties and trees each damaged.

Signs, lampposts and vehicles successful the car parkland astatine Marwell Zoo, adjacent Winchester were damaged arsenic the tempest blew up connected Sunday afternoon.

The adjacent Marwell Manor Farm was besides affected, with tract shelters destroyed.

After assessing the footage from some places, experts confirmed the country had been struck by a tornado.

James Cretney, main enforcement astatine Marwell Wildlife, said: "I couldn't judge it. The car parkland looked similar thing from a Hollywood movie set, specified was the unit of this tornado."

The zoo itself was not damaged and no-one was injured during the storm.

Customers who did not already person pre-booked tickets were earlier urged not to sojourn the park.

Thompsons Lane remained unopen earlier due to the fact that of the damaged trees, but the zoo was owed to unfastened arsenic mean connected Tuesday.

After looking astatine footage Paul Knightly, caput of the Tornado and Storm Research Organisation (TORRO), confirmed that a tornado had deed the area.

He said tornadoes typically formed beneath "powerful ablution oregon thunderstorm clouds".

"On uncommon occasions, immoderate benignant of pre-existing rotation successful the little ambiance tin beryllium stretched and tightened-up by the upwards-moving air, and this tin spin-up a tornado," helium explained.

Mr Knightly said the UK was deed by astir 30 to 35 tornadoes a year, but helium said determination was nary denotation they were connected the increase.