Rare tornado watch issued for parts of UK and Ireland

manchestereveningnews.co.uk:

A rare weather watch has been issued for parts of the UK and Ireland today (Monday 5 September). According to the Tornado and Storm Research Organisation (TORRO), 'one or two' tornadoes are possible on Monday and into the evening across the 'watch area.' Currently the affected areas include the Republic of Ireland and southern parts of Northern Ireland.

TORRO said in its weather update: "The persistence of active thunderstorms with northward-extent is somewhat uncertain, hence the rather large area." 'Strong wind gusts and reasonably-large hail' are also possible and 'lightning and heavy rain' are additional hazards, according to TORRO.

Meanwhile, conditions across parts of south west England and Wales, into the Midlands and central south England are being monitored for a possible advisory or watch. Read more:Metrolink's future is 'unclear' as government funding ends and passenger numbers fall The Met Office described a tornado as 'a rapidly rotating column of air that reaches between the base of a storm cloud and the Earth's surface.

They form in very unsettled weather conditions as part of severe thunderstorms.' TORRO defines a severe thunderstorm as producing one or more of the following: But it notes that thunder and/or lightning does not necessarily need to be present for any of the conditions listed above to occur.