'Twister' causes havoc in UK town
A 'twister' caused “havoc” when it ripped through a the centre of a pretty town in England, authorities said.
The tourist hub of Kingsbridge in Devon was hit by the mini-tornado at around 1pm on Monday.
Roofs were torn off and one window was completely sucked out of a pub by the updraft.
Gusts of winds reached 52mph in Brixham and 44mph in Plymouth, also in Devon, South Hams Council said.
But further damage to the town was limited, as residents had already ’storm proofed’ their buildings due to recent bad weather.
Andy Carpenter, head of Devon Building Control, a partnership between South Hams, Teignbridge and West Devon Councils, praised the owners for being “responsible”.
“In these recent storms we have found many responsible property owners have acted promptly to get repairs under way and ensure buildings are made safe,” Mr Carpenter said.
“This seems to have been the case in Kingsbridge.”
Fire crews were called to the Quay public house in Kingsbridge at around 12.40 on Monday after the updraft sucked out an upstairs window.
An aerial ladder was brought in to clear away large shards of glass from the roof of the chip shop and post office to prevent further damage.
Bridge Street was closed after the incident, due to a risk of debris falling onto pavements.
Another fire crew was dispatched to reports of a dangerous structure in Fore Street.
A section of roof, believed to be part of the Peacocks store, was torn off and landed in Mill Street – bending the railings.
A large Velux window was also damaged by the ’twister’.
Mr Carpenter added: “It has been satisfying for us to see that during this busy period property owners have been acting so responsibly.”
