Tornado near home.

[tuttle]

Twister not the plane!

I kid you not! Looked out of the window to the north(I'm in the S/W nr Cheddar btw) 1/2 hr ago & there was a largish dark tornado funnel hanging from the sky.Not anywhere near touching the ground,but pretty impressive.The sky had gone v dark,wind absolutely still & silent.Watched it for about 15mins then it sort of disappeared up its own @rse.
Never seen one before,I've come over all Wizard of OZ all of a sudden.

>> Edited by tuttle on Monday 1st August 20:21

[mybrainhurts]

Holy smoke, you two....

I want some of your strong beer........

[tuttle]

The tornado,well it didn't suck up any in-laws or toss any tractors about-swizz

Some of those truck drivers are really impressive,but the rocket man! what about the rocket? Military? Or a B-I-G f off firework?

[mybrainhurts]

Yes, yes, yes....

What about the beer......?

[tuttle]

Oh! Just the usual Grolsch-with a dash of ether & nitros oxide

The tornado has just been on local news telly,so it wasn't just my addled brain that saw it.

Drop of mass hallucination anyone?

>> Edited by tuttle on Monday 1st August 23:03

[mybrainhurts]

Yes, yes yes....

And you've all got pixies in the garden.......

[telecat]

Technically if it doesn't hit the ground it's a "funnel cloud".

[Killer2005]

telecat said:

Technically if it doesn't hit the ground it's a "funnel cloud".

Exactly what i was going to point out

[seafarer]

Yes, and technically, if you see one near by, even if it hasn't touched down, get to an interior room or basement. Seriously. A town called Jarell, Texas, was totally destroyed by a category 5 a few years back-- it looked like a miles-wide trail of match sticks was all that was left. The milder ones might just take your roof off.

They are fascinating. There was a big water spout a few years ago that came near land in the intracoastal waterway where my parents live. People who hadn't seen one before were pulling over on the causeway to look at it! Insane! It went away, but if it had come ashore, they would be too transfixed to get themselves to safety.

Take care.

[groomi]

seafarer said:

Yes, and technically, if you see one near by, even if it hasn't touched down, get to an interior room or basement. Seriously. A town called Jarell, Texas, was totally destroyed by a category 5 a few years back-- it looked like a miles-wide trail of match sticks was all that was left. The milder ones might just take your roof off. Take care.

Ah, yes but us Brits build houses from bricks, not sticks. Maybe the story of the three little pigs hasn't crossed the pond yet.

[SpencerO]

I had one of these a few years back - in sunny Essex. Was totally bizarre - and the pics really dont do it justice...

http://community.webshots.com/album/46489463ppvDiM

edit: buggrit! how do i post pics again? lol

>> Edited by SpencerO on Tuesday 2nd August 08:43

>> Edited by SpencerO on Tuesday 2nd August 09:05

[tuttle]

telecat said:

Technically if it doesn't hit the ground it's a "funnel cloud".

I did not know that,however,the swirling funnel cloud mixed with the strange light & absense of natural sound made for an interesting experience,-& we don't get many of those in Somerset!

[Mikey G]

groomi said:

seafarer said: Yes, and technically, if you see one near by, even if it hasn't touched down, get to an interior room or basement. Seriously. A town called Jarell, Texas, was totally destroyed by a category 5 a few years back-- it looked like a miles-wide trail of match sticks was all that was left. The milder ones might just take your roof off. Take care. Ah, yes but us Brits build houses from bricks, not sticks. Maybe the story of the three little pigs hasn't crossed the pond yet.

Maybe you should tell that to the inhabitants of a couple of streets in Birmingham

[neil_cardiff]

tuttle said:

Twister not the plane! I kid you not! Looked out of the window to the north(I'm in the S/W nr Cheddar btw) 1/2 hr ago & there was a largish dark tornado funnel hanging from the sky.Not anywhere near touching the ground,but pretty impressive.The sky had gone v dark,wind absolutely still & silent.Watched it for about 15mins then it sort of disappeared up its own @rse. Never seen one before,I've come over all Wizard of OZ all of a sudden. >> Edited by tuttle on Monday 1st August 20:21

Saw this as well!!!!!!!!!

I was driving to the supermarket with the missus, and went to stop to take a piccy, but it dispersed just as I found a spot to pull over - it was well cool.

glas it wasn't just us thinkning we were going mad!!!!!

Neil

[ErnestM]

Also technically (sorry, Seafarer just being pedantic), Tornados have "F" ratings and not categories (Hurricanes have Categories)...

Fujita Tornado Damage Scale

F4/F5 being the "we have cows" rating

ErnestM

[seafarer]

Ah, yes, I forgot. And, interestingly, the internal winds are several hundred miles per hour, so it won't matter what your house is made of if it's hit directly.

Although, I do have to wonder about the plywood involved that I see in new, inexpensive apartment houses....what's going on with building contractors, insurance companies, and code regulation? hmmm...