UK braces for tornadoes with 50mph winds and severe lightning, Met Office issues amber rain warnings

An amber weather warning is also in place for slow moving showers and thunderstorms that are expected to intensify through Thursday afternoon into the late evening with 16 areas bracing themselves for a deluge

The UK is on alert as tornadoes are predicted, with Brits bracing for winds up to 50mph and the possibility of severe lightning in the imminent future. The concerning weather pattern coincides with amber warnings for rain storms set to bombard 16 different regions with substantial rainfall.

The Tornado and Storm Research Organisation (Torro) has issued a 10-hour severe weather warning encompassing a substantial portion of southeast England and East Anglia. They have highlighted the potential for "brief" tornado storms, noting: "Showers and isolated thunderstorms are already present around parts of SW and S England, and these will tend to move NE through this morning, with other showers and a few thunderstorms developing inland via diurnal heating."

They further elaborate on the conditions saying, "Deep layer shear is favourable for small clusters or lines of storms to form, and whilst low-level shear is reasonably modest, some backing of the flow ahead of the trough could assist in the development of low-level rotation, and perhaps a brief tornado or two. The most likely area of this to occur is across southern counties in the depicted area, but as models are keen to develop rather widespread showers through the day, the risk is drawn in a broader sense. Gusty winds and lightning will affect some places, along with hail."

A new alert has been issued following a tornado that hit the tranquil town of Tewkesbury earlier this week. The tornado struck at approximately 4.24pm on Saturday, mere hours after Aldershot in Hampshire experienced a similar event, causing damage to properties and uprooting trees.

Rich, a 38 year old builder and father to six year old Grace, described his daughter as "flabbergasted" by the unusual weather phenomenon. He recounted: "It was a spectacle in real time. It lasted around 20 seconds. The winds got up very dramatically, felt like a scene from twister. Right place, Right time! " The Tornado and Storm Research Organisation has verified the occurrence of a tornado in Aldershot at about 12.25pm on Friday, which travelled for 1.2 miles through the town, reports the Mirror.

Fortunately, no injuries were reported, although there was some property damage including a damaged chimney and a tree being torn from the ground in a resident's garden. Additionally, a passenger recently filmed a tornado on a motorway near Luton, with a viral video showing motorists struggling against perilous conditions as the tornado loomed in the background.

The Met Office has also issued official weather warnings for today. Slow-moving showers and thunderstorms are expected to intensify throughout Thursday afternoon into the late evening, merging into "a large band of heavy rain" - with central and eastern parts of the warning area expected to be hit hardest by the storm.

The forecaster warned that due to ground already saturated from earlier rainfall this week, several areas could face an increased risk of flooding during the downpours. The warning further stated: "Some places, especially across central and eastern parts of the warning area, are likely to receive 30-40mm in three hours or less, and perhaps 50-60mm or more in around six hours. This rain will fall onto already saturated ground and affect communities recovering from recent flooding. Travel disruption and further flooding is likely, with rivers continuing to rise after the rain clears."