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| Keresley residents mystified by apple shower | |
| (about 11 hours later) | |
| Residents of Coventry have been left mystified after hundreds of apples fell from the sky over their homes. | |
| People in the Keresley area of the city said the fruit came raining down at about 19:00 GMT on Monday, hitting passing vehicles. | |
| Parish councillor Sandra Camwell said the apple storm lasted a few minutes and was the second occurrence of its kind in a fortnight. | Parish councillor Sandra Camwell said the apple storm lasted a few minutes and was the second occurrence of its kind in a fortnight. |
| Weather experts said winds could have carried the apples from an orchard. | Weather experts said winds could have carried the apples from an orchard. |
| Ms Camwell said there had been no reported injuries and only minor damage to a handful of cars. | Ms Camwell said there had been no reported injuries and only minor damage to a handful of cars. |
| Dave Meakins, 63, who lives near the junction of Kelmscote Road and Keresley Road, said he had found dozens of apples in his garden. | Dave Meakins, 63, who lives near the junction of Kelmscote Road and Keresley Road, said he had found dozens of apples in his garden. |
| Many more were scattered across the road and found in gutters. | Many more were scattered across the road and found in gutters. |
| Westerly wind | Westerly wind |
| "At first I thought it was kids, but there were too many apples and they were crushed as if they'd fallen from a great height," he said. | "At first I thought it was kids, but there were too many apples and they were crushed as if they'd fallen from a great height," he said. |
| Despite being broken up, Mr Meakins said it was clear some of the apples were large, like cooking apples. | Despite being broken up, Mr Meakins said it was clear some of the apples were large, like cooking apples. |
| Prof Robert Kerr, an expert in atmospheric modelling at the University of Warwick, said it was possible the apples were lifted from a nearby orchard by the wind and released over the junction. | Prof Robert Kerr, an expert in atmospheric modelling at the University of Warwick, said it was possible the apples were lifted from a nearby orchard by the wind and released over the junction. |
| And Charles Powell, forecaster for the Met Office, said it was "not impossible" that strong winds lifted the apples and carried them over Keresley. | And Charles Powell, forecaster for the Met Office, said it was "not impossible" that strong winds lifted the apples and carried them over Keresley. |
| "It's not the first instance I've heard of this happening," he said. | "It's not the first instance I've heard of this happening," he said. |
| Large gusts | Large gusts |
| He added: "It was a fairly moderate westerly wind (in Coventry) much of the day but during the afternoon there was a weather front approaching and it looks as if the wind increased for a time. | He added: "It was a fairly moderate westerly wind (in Coventry) much of the day but during the afternoon there was a weather front approaching and it looks as if the wind increased for a time. |
| "It looks as if it was fairly strong wind as that band of cloud and rain went through. | "It looks as if it was fairly strong wind as that band of cloud and rain went through. |
| "The wind increased rapidly. When a cold front goes through in many instances wind can increase rapidly and you see localised events with fairly large gusts and rapid changes in wind direction." | "The wind increased rapidly. When a cold front goes through in many instances wind can increase rapidly and you see localised events with fairly large gusts and rapid changes in wind direction." |
| Allen Hogan, the owner of Hogan's Cider in Alcester, 30 miles away, said there were no apples obviously missing from his orchards. | Allen Hogan, the owner of Hogan's Cider in Alcester, 30 miles away, said there were no apples obviously missing from his orchards. |
| In Keresley itself Ms Camwell said there was only a small number of fruit trees. She said she believed the apples could have fallen from a passing aircraft. | In Keresley itself Ms Camwell said there was only a small number of fruit trees. She said she believed the apples could have fallen from a passing aircraft. |