The hurricane force winds are thought to have exceeded 80 MPH (Photo: JCB)
Production lines at JCB were quickly back up and running after a mini tornado struck.
Hurricane force winds tore into the side of the JCB factory where backhoe loaders are produced at the World HQ in Rocester, Staffordshire, causing a wall to collapse and windows to fall to the ground. Production was suspended for 30 minutes while safety checks were carried out. Clear up operations then began and the area beyond the wall declared safe for production to continue. No-one was injured in the incident and the area has now been cordoned off.
Production lines at JCB ground to a halt after the firms HQ was struck by the Tornado force winds which swept the region (Photo: JCB)
JCB Backhoe Assembly Manager Richard Williams, of Stramshall, near Uttoxeter, said: “I was about 30 yards away at the time and I heard an enormous crash. I turned around and saw the wall and the windows had come out and a big whirlwind of leaves and branches blowing around outside. Luckily no-one was in the vicinity at the time.”
A JCB spokeman said: “Shortly after midday the skies blackened and powerful winds moved in, literally whipping up big waves on the lake at the front of the factory. Employees who have been here for decades said they had never seen anything like it.”
Tornadoes are associated with the US, but about 30 blow across the UK each year and some have caused serious damage. The UK is claimed to get more tornadoes per square kilometre than any other country in the world. On average about 30 tornadoes are reported in the UK each year, although these are generally weak with 95per cent classed as F0-F1, up to 112MPH.
Research by the University of Manchester has shown that May to October is tornado season for the UK with the most prone regions the south, south east and west.