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| 'Tornado' damages city home roofs | 'Tornado' damages city home roofs |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| A "tornado" has damaged the roofs of two houses in Newport, south Wales according to one of the residents. | A "tornado" has damaged the roofs of two houses in Newport, south Wales according to one of the residents. |
| The semi-detached houses in Haisbro Avenue, St Julian's in the city were hit at about 1610 GMT on Thursday | The semi-detached houses in Haisbro Avenue, St Julian's in the city were hit at about 1610 GMT on Thursday |
| Veronica Stacey said a neighbour saw the sky turn dark and then watched as the tiles were ripped off the roofs. | Veronica Stacey said a neighbour saw the sky turn dark and then watched as the tiles were ripped off the roofs. |
| Forecasters at the BBC Weather Centre said they believed heavy rainfall "at the top of the scale" had fallen in Newport, which can bring mini-tornados. | Forecasters at the BBC Weather Centre said they believed heavy rainfall "at the top of the scale" had fallen in Newport, which can bring mini-tornados. |
| Mrs Stacey, who returned home from work n the pathology lab at the Royal Gwent Hospital to view the damage, said: "Some of the tiles were found five or six gardens down the road." | Mrs Stacey, who returned home from work n the pathology lab at the Royal Gwent Hospital to view the damage, said: "Some of the tiles were found five or six gardens down the road." |
| She said the "mini tornado" was witnessed by a neighbour whose garden backs onto her own. | She said the "mini tornado" was witnessed by a neighbour whose garden backs onto her own. |
| "She said 'The sky went really dark, a kind of yellow colour and then they just came off with the wind'," Mrs Stacey added. | "She said 'The sky went really dark, a kind of yellow colour and then they just came off with the wind'," Mrs Stacey added. |
| She said both her home and that of her neighbour had large holes in the back of their rooves. | She said both her home and that of her neighbour had large holes in the back of their rooves. |
| A spokesman for the BBC Weather Centre said it was "possible" a mini-tornado had struck the homes. | A spokesman for the BBC Weather Centre said it was "possible" a mini-tornado had struck the homes. |
| "About 1615 BST exactly over Newport we've got a little image of rainfall right at the top of the scale and these little deluges can bring little mini-tornados," he said. | "About 1615 BST exactly over Newport we've got a little image of rainfall right at the top of the scale and these little deluges can bring little mini-tornados," he said. |
| "But people can confuse mini tornados with big gusts of winds." | "But people can confuse mini tornados with big gusts of winds." |
| Slates were found a few doors away after being blown off the roof in Haisbro Avenue, Newport | |
| BBC Wales forecaster Derek Brockway said the air over Wales had been unstable causing it to rise and cool forming large clouds called Cumulonimbus clouds. | BBC Wales forecaster Derek Brockway said the air over Wales had been unstable causing it to rise and cool forming large clouds called Cumulonimbus clouds. |
| He said these clouds can grow very tall producing heavy rain, hail and thunder and gusty winds and sometimes tornadoes. | He said these clouds can grow very tall producing heavy rain, hail and thunder and gusty winds and sometimes tornadoes. |
| "The air within a thunder cloud is rising, but what goes up must come down," he said. | "The air within a thunder cloud is rising, but what goes up must come down," he said. |
| "So a cold downdraught is also produced and this cause the air to spin and produce a funnel cloud. If the funnel clouds grow big enough and touches the sea it becomes a waterspout. If it touches the land its a tornado." | "So a cold downdraught is also produced and this cause the air to spin and produce a funnel cloud. If the funnel clouds grow big enough and touches the sea it becomes a waterspout. If it touches the land its a tornado." |
| Mr Brockway said tornadoes were more common than was thought in the UK. | Mr Brockway said tornadoes were more common than was thought in the UK. |
| "On average we can expect 33 every year, but there are probably loads more that go unreported. | "On average we can expect 33 every year, but there are probably loads more that go unreported. |
| "Most tornadoes in the UK form over the Midlands and southern England but some do occur occasionally in the north and over Wales." | "Most tornadoes in the UK form over the Midlands and southern England but some do occur occasionally in the north and over Wales." |