Possible tornado sweeps through Quintrell downs in Cornwall, UK

What appears to be a tornado tore through Quintrell Downs near Newquay on January 23, leaving homes damaged, trees uprooted, and debris scattered across the village. One local garage reported damage to 8 cars.

The violent winds, striking between 09:30 and 09:45 UTC, caused extensive structural damage, with some houses losing parts of their roofs.

The event was part of severe weather conditions associated with Storm Eowyn which is currently battering the UK coast with winds reaching 160 km/h (100 mph).

Residents described the impact as sudden and devastating, with the winds lasting only seconds but causing widespread damage. Witnesses recounted seeing trees toppled and roof tiles ripped away.

“It was a freak, everything was twirling in the air, plant pots and so forth. A light breeze started then a strong wind, then literally from nowhere a tornado ripped through. There were trees uprooted, it just came through in five or 10 seconds. It’s just left carnage, there’s at least seven or eight roofs that are almost missing, chimney pots affected, trees uprooted, it was very dangerous and then the tornado just went off across the fields,” Cheryl Foers, a resident of Quintrell Gardens, said.

The UK Met Office issued a tornado warning ahead of Storm Eowyn’s arrival, cautioning residents about the risks of severe winds. The storm has led to increased emergency calls in coastal areas.

“Due to Storm Eowyn, we are experiencing an increased volume of calls related to weather-related incidents. At this time, this appears to be affecting coastal areas and roads. Please stay safe and follow Met Office advice on weather warnings and be vigilant if driving. Be assured officers and partners are deployed out to incidents as they are reported and will continue their efforts,” a spokesperson for Devon and Cornwall Police stated.

Reports also surfaced of caravans being affected at Holywell Bay, near Newquay. Officers responded to the scene where at least 1 person sustained minor injuries.

Trevornick Holiday Park confirmed some damage in a “very isolated area of the park,” adding that cleanup operations were underway.

“It felt like all the windows were going to come through. The next thing I just heard this almighty crashing and smashing. The back of all our tiles have all come off, so our whole garden is just like a scene from some sort of devastation movie,” Jo Rance, another affected resident, recounted the moment the tornado hit.

The storm’s impact was also evident in the heavy rainfall accompanying the tornado, with weather data showing that over 32 mm (1.26 inches) of rain fell in just one hour in the Newquay area.

Cornwall Council has advised residents to avoid the area and take extreme caution to access their properties. Emergency services and local volunteers have been assisting in clearing debris and making temporary repairs.

Tornadoes in the United Kingdom (U.K.), while relatively rare, do occur, with an average of 30 reported annually. They typically form along active cold fronts where temperature differences create the necessary vorticity for their development.

In the UK, they often appear as rope-like or almost invisible formations, only detectable by the debris they lift into the air. Most tornadoes in the northern hemisphere spin anticlockwise and are often linked to intense downpours observed in Quintrell Downs.

“We’ve lost part of our roof but no-one’s injured, which is the main thing,” Ms. Foers noted about the community’s response.

References:

¹ ‘Carnage’ as mini tornado tears through village – BBC – January 23, 2025

² Pictures show ‘mini tornado’ destruction in Cornwall village – CornwallLive – January 24, 2025

Rishika Yadav

Rishika holds a Master’s in International Studies from Stella Maris College, Chennai, India, where she earned a gold medal, and an MCA from the University of Mysore, Karnataka, India. Previously, she served as a Research Assistant at the National Institute of Advanced Studies, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, India. During her tenure, she contributed as a Junior Writer for Europe Monitor on the Global Politics website and as an Assistant Editor for The World This Week. Her work has also been published in The Hindu newspaper, showing her expertise in global affairs. Rishika is also a recipient of the Women Empowerment Award at the district level in Haryana, India, in 2022.

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