While on my way up Fountain Fell (G/NP-017) earlier today I observed what looked to me liike a mini Tornado - over towards Buckden pike. It lasted for well over 1/2 hour.
Has anyone every seen this before in the U.K ?
Dave (M0JKS/P)
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Not I. From your photo it looks like a funnel cloud where the vortex hangs below a cloud and usually doesn’t touch the ground. According to the Met Office, on average, the UK experiences between 30-35 tornadoes per year, but it is very rare any cause significant damage.
Thanks for the 2m FM S2S this morning between Ingleborough and Pen-y-Ghent.
Andy
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Yes thanks for the SS2 today.on 2M Andy… Pen-y-ghent was not the most pleasant activation I’ve done of late as the midges were on steroids. At one point I couldn’t see the KX2 screen for flies - to give out signal reports. I abandoned HF as I was a sitting duck. I ended up conduction a 2m pile up while walking around and around the 2m mast to avoid the little blighters. It did make loggging a tad more of challenge. I’m doing Wernside tomorrow
Dave
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Impressive, a clear wall cloud and almost fully condensed. Even when tornadoes do not appear to touch the ground there can be damaging winds below the visible funnel so I wonder if this will generate any reports in the news. It is an interesting fact that the UK has a higher number of tornadoes per unit area than even the USA, though few of them do any major damage! Though I have seen a waterspout and a land spout (when an incipient tornado was picking up soil from ploughed fields) I have never seen a fully condensed tornado.
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There was a report of a sighting of a funnel cloud on BBC Look North yesterday, but at a different location to this - somewhere near Ilkley. No reports of any damage though.
Nick
i seen a mini tornado once in Stockton UK. We watched it for about 5 minutes out of the office iwndow. It was moving along the river Tees and it came over a couple of boats moored and although the tornado was no more than about a foot wide it completely ripped the canvass roof off the back of the boat it was on and then moved on and took a bin up and dropped that then moved on. If it wasn’t moving across the water you wouldnt have seen it, it was only the distruction and the water surface that told you it was there. Weird but surprising how powerful it was for being so small, as i say it was no more than about a foot in diameter.
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Some years ago I was activating Cross Fell at this time of year. It was warm, sunny and still.
Out of nowhere, suddenly there was a very strong wind. Two fellow walkers sitting with me watched in horror as their sandwiches, in a poll bag and a wide brimmed hat on the man’s head went skyward.
The hat fluttered down 5min later but the sandwiches were lost without trace.
David
G0EVV
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The tornado has to get its power from somewhat… 
73 Armin
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I got a call yesterday from the Tornado and Storm Research Organisatino (TORRO), who had picked up this post from Google ( https://www.torro.org.uk). Anyway, they were interested in precise details (time, date, location etc) of this siting, as another was sited at 12, not too far away in Ilkley.
Dave
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First time for me David. With hindsight I wish the tornado had appeared on Fountain Fell so it could have sucked up all those nasty little flies which ruined my activation…
Dave
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