Mini Tornado Wreaks Havoc in Cornish Town, Overturning Caravans and Causing Damage

A mini tornado wreaked havoc in the Cornish resort town of Quintrell Downs, near Newquay, on Thursday. Mobile phone footage captured the chaotic scene as high-speed winds and torrential rain battered the area. Rubbish and debris flew across the road, smashing into houses and vehicles. Caravans at a nearby holiday park were flipped over and destroyed.

Shocked residents in Newquay shared pictures of damaged roofs and walls. The Met Office issued a yellow wind warning for the region on Friday morning as Storm Eowyn approached.

Cheryl Foers, a local resident, described the experience as a "freak" event. "Everything was twirling in the air, plant pots and so forth," she said. "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."

Trevornick Holiday Park confirmed damage in a "very isolated area" and initiated a clean-up operation. Video footage showed overturned caravans and scattered debris across the park's grounds in Holywell Bay.

The UK experiences around 30 tornadoes annually. These are typically small and short-lived but can cause significant damage in built-up areas. The European Storm Forecast Experiment had issued an alert for tornadoes in the south of England on Wednesday night.

On Friday, a rare red weather warning was in place for Northern Ireland and parts of Scotland. The worst of the storm was expected to hit the south and east of Northern Ireland with gusts of up to 80mph. Yellow and amber weather warnings were issued across the rest of the country.

The Met Office warned of potential injuries and danger to life from flying debris, large waves, and beach material being thrown onto sea fronts, coastal roads, and properties.