A Tornado in England?

England is known for its weather. That weather usually consists of an overcast grey sky and lots of rain. Tornados are not usually an issue! However, today in Barking, London, a tornado touched down and caused considerable damage. Luckily no one was injured, from what I have heard.

Every Brit worth their salt is always ready for a spot of rain. A hot sunny day is more likely to shock an English person than a wet and windy summer day. Saying that, it's hard to be prepared for flying wheelie bins! But this is precisely what happened in Barking recently. On a typical stormy day, you might get a little thunder and lightning, but on this day, the residents of South London were in for a shock.

There was even a funnel cloud! Whether that funnel touched the ground, though, is up for debate. However, from looking at the videos and photographs of the aftermath, the damage will take some time to clear up.

According to the BBC, the UK gets around 30–50 tornados a year. England even has its own, ‘Tornado Alley’. Please don't panic, though, as tornados in the UK amount to a gentle breeze compared to their American cousins. It's like the adage, ‘Everything is bigger in America!’

Imagine my surprise today when I logged onto TikTok to watch the usual random number of funny videos and check my stats to discover a twister had hit London! The roofers are going to have work for months. Also, should I be concerned that my breaking news comes from TikTok? (That needs to be an article all on its own.)

I digress, back to tornados and England.

The above is raw footage. I feel that it's a truer recounting of events instead of a cleaned-up video. While you can see there is quite a bit of damage, the homes and people seem mostly alright, with mainly superficial damage. To compare, the video below is a tornado in America from this year.

Personally, I will take the UK versions any day.

I do want to add that according to the BBC, it is not technically called a tornado, but instead, ‘severe weather’. Here is a link to the BBC story if anyone would like to read more on it.

One of the first things that came to mind when I saw the video was climate change. I cannot advise one way or another, as I have not researched the increase of severe weather concerning climate change. However, it was my initial thought.

Climate change and global warming is a real thing. That is simply a fact. There is extraordinary amounts of evidence to prove it, as well as the testimony of experts. Personally, if Sir David Attenborough says it, then in my book, it is gospel. The man is a national treasure, and in my humble opinion, anything that he suggests should automatically be written into law. As a disclaimer, I want to repeat that, Putting David Attenborough up as the Prime Minister and giving him carte blanche is only my opinion.

Another point of view is the increase of social media. We have so much more information available as it is happening. The live feeds alone mean that very little is ever missed. In today's world, you can't even fall without it going viral online. There is no way that a natural disaster is going to unseen.

In conclusion, whether it's typical severe weather for this time of year or an increase due to the stupidity of humans. (Please join in on the efforts to reduce the effects of destruction we are causing.) Overall, our homes are sturdy, American tornados are laughing at ours, and this is Britain. Keep Calm and Carry On.