Tornado warning issued for parts of UK as Brits urged to brace for 50mph winds

Severe lightning is also possible across parts of the UK

The UK is bracing for tornadoes as residents are warned of impending 50mph winds and severe lightning strikes. Amid amber warnings for rainstorms, 16 regions across the country are set to be battered by intense rainfall.

The Tornado and Storm Research Organisation (Torro) has issued a 10-hour severe weather warning covering a substantial portion of southeast England and East Anglia. Torro highlighted the possibility of "brief" tornado storms, stating: "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 added: "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," reports the Mirror.

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"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 swept through a tranquil British village earlier this week. The tornado in Tewkesbury struck at approximately 4.24pm on Saturday, just 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 confirmed Aldershot's tornado at about 12.25pm on Friday, tracking its path for 1.2 miles across the town, reports the Mirror.

Fortunately, there were no injuries reported, although there was some property damage, including a damaged chimney and a tree torn from the ground in a resident's garden. Additionally, a motorway tornado near Luton was caught on camera by a passenger, with the viral footage showing motorists contending with dangerous conditions as the tornado loomed in the background.

The Met Office has also issued official weather warnings for Thursday, September 26. 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 likely 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 added: "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."

Locally, showers are expected in Nottingham throughout Thursday afternoon and evening. The wet weather is expected to clear by 3am on Friday, September 27, with a mainly sunny and cloudy rest of the day expected.