Incredible moment funnel cloud rips through sky over Yorkshire town as Met Office issue yellow rain & flood warning
THIS is the incredible moment a funnel cloud ripped through the sky over a town on Sunday night.
The rotating twister was seen amid black clouds at a Spar petrol station in Driffield in the East Riding of Yorkshire.
YouTuber ‘I’m just Greg’ posted the dramatic footage online and described the spinning weather phenomena as a tornado.
He spotted the column of air above the village of Nafferton at 6.50pm.
However the Met Office told The Sun it was a funnel cloud rather than a tornado as it wasn’t touching the ground.
Funnel clouds are also known as ‘tuba’ which extend from the base of a cloud but they do not reach the ground.
When they do reach the ground, they are then known as a tornado.
They are formed in the same way as a tornado, and are typically associated with the formation of cumulonimbus clouds.
In the video, the man said: “That is a tornado coming down. It’s actually spinning. Can you see it forming and twisting?
“If that touches down, there’s going to be trouble.”
It comes as the Met Office issued a yellow weather warning for areas of southern England and South Wales.
The warning runs from 6pm on Monday to 3am on Tuesday and could see up to 70mm (2.7 inches) of rain.
The forecaster said: “Rain becoming persistent and heavy this evening, leading to some impacts on travel and infrastructure.”
Northern Scotland will be hit by up to 90mm (3.5 inches) late on Tuesday through Wednesday.
What are funnel clouds?
FUNNEL clouds or 'tuba' are extending, spinning fingers of cloud that reach towards the ground, but never touch it.
When they do reach the ground they become a tornado.
What are funnel clouds?
A funnel cloud is a cone-shaped cloud which extends from the base of a cloud towards the ground without actually reaching the surface.
In the UK they often look like thin dangling bits of rope, hanging from the cloud above. But in hotspots such as tornado alley in the USA, funnel clouds can sometimes be thicker and much more intense.
How do funnel clouds form?
A rotating column of wind draws in cloud droplets, making a region of intense low pressure visible.
They are formed in the same way as a tornado building around this localised area of intensely low pressure and are typically associated with the formation of cumulonimbus thunderclouds.
What weather is associated with funnel clouds?
Cumulonimbus clouds are almost always the host cloud from which tuba form, meaning that heavy rain, hail, thunder and lightning can all be expected.
If a funnel cloud does make contact with the ground and produce a tornado, very strong winds can be expected in the immediate vicinity of the vortex potentially causing severe damage.
What is the difference between a funnel cloud and a tornado?
Crucially, a funnel cloud does not reach the earth’s surface, at the point it reaches land it becomes a tornado, or if it reaches a body of water it becomes a waterspout.
In a typical year, the UK sees around 30-35 tornadoes each year, though it is very rare that are they strong enough to cause any significant damage.
Source: Met Office
The worst affected areas include Angus, Aberdeenshire, Moray and the Highlands.
Over the weekend The Henley Royal Regatta, Wimbledon and the Grand Prix at Silverstone were all affected by heavy rain.
There was some relief today as the nation enjoyed widespread sunny spells.
UK 5 day weather forecast
Today:
Sunny spells and showers will continue across northern areas.
Further south, after a dry start, it will turn wet and windy from the southwest, with some heavier bursts reaching Devon and Cornwall during the evening. Feeling warm in any sunshine.
Tonight:
Showers across the north will ease with clear spells developing.
Cloud and rain across the south spreading northwards, reaching northern England and Northern Ireland by dawn.
Tuesday:
Areas of rain, locally heavy will move northeastwards, skies brightening from the south with heavy showers developing in places.
Temperatures near average but feeling warm in the sunshine.
Outlook for Wednesday to Friday:
Remaining unsettled as low pressure tracks northwards Wednesday.
Further outbreaks of rain likely Thursday but some warm sunny spells around too.
Similar on Friday, perhaps turning drier from the west.