With the summer in full swing and sunseekers enjoying an extended heatwave, it’s unlikely you caught that memo about the mini tornadoes sweeping across the UK.
Stunned residents in parts of the UK, including Gloucestershire, Devon and Wales, have reported seeing ‘dust devil’ tornados forming from clumps of dry grass.
A homeowner in Lancashire managed to capture the bizarre sight on camera, explaining: ‘Busy at work when this appeared today!’
It was shared on the My Chair Covers Lancashire Facebook page, with one viewer commenting:’ I’ve seen these before in Cornwall. Not really dangerous but really interesting to watch!’
A freak hay storm was also reported in Cheltenham where huge clumps of dry grass were seen falling from the sky (Picture: SWNS)
Weather experts said the bizarre raining hay was down to rising hot air and warm plumes of cloud-free air.
Met Office spokeswoman Helen Chivers said: ‘We’ve had a couple of weeks of dry weather across much of the country and that has allowed the ground to dry and warm up, and this weather has been ideal for farmers to cut grass for hay.
‘This grass has been lifted into the air by some means, possibly by convection – where the ground heats the air above it causing the air to rise and carrying the grass aloft – and it is then carried along by warm thermals.’
