Tragedy as freak storms hit Cumbria
Last updated at 19:05, Monday, 29 June 2009
Freak weather including "tornadoes" and flash floods hit Cumbria at the weekend.
Related: Cumbrian fisherman missing after flash floods
And with a heatwave on the way, forecasters are warning of more unusual weather.
This week will see the unprecedented weather continue with a heat wave set to start today.
Tina Richardson, landlord of the Miners Arms in Prospect, spotted the strange sight in the Aspatria skyline last night.
She told the News & Star: “It was about 4.30pm when I looked out of the bar window and saw the tornado.
“I rushed outside with some customers to see it.
“I couldn’t believe my eyes at first, it was quite big but there was no noise. It was really eerie.
“I have never seen anything like this before and never expected to in Cumbria.
“We watched it for around 15 minutes as it seemed to move to the left and then disappeared.”
A spokesman for the Met Office explained that a “meeting of winds” caused the heavy storms, seen on Saturday and yesterday afternoon.
He said: “On Saturday afternoon there was a very humid and unstable air mass that developed leading to heavy thunderstorms and localised torrential rain and possibly hail.”
He added that a sea breeze coming from the Irish coast meeting a south easterly wind would also have caused stormy weather, seen also yesterday.
The spokesman added that “tornadoes” spotted in Keswick and Aspatria are known as a funnel clouds, created in very heavy storms.
Meanwhile, the search for fisherman Paul Sheldon reported missing after flash floods hit the west Cumbrian coast will resume today.
The 52-year-old went missing in freak weather conditions as the hot and humid weather continues.
The man, of Festival Road, Millom, was reported missing by his mother yesterday morning resumed this morning.
He had gone fishing in the Eskmeals area at about 6pm on Saturday.
Police, the coastguard and an RAF helicopter searched the area all day yesterday until midnight when it became too dark to continue.
The man needs regular medication after a kidney transplant.
A police spokesman said: “Police officers and the Coastguard will continue making checks of the coastline and surrounding area today.”
With a heatwave on the way, forecasters are warning of more unusual weather.
Shocked residents in Aspatria and Keswick reported seeing tornadoes, following heavy storms that developed over the county yesterday afternoon (SUN).
Temperatures could soar to 27C today cooling to just 17C tonight .
The spokesman added: “Maximum temperatures on Tuesday and Wednesday will be 25C reaching 27C on Thursday and 26C on Friday.
“On the coast the temperatures will be a few degrees cooler but over all they will be very high and very muggy overnight.”
Nationally, it is expected to be the warmest week since 2006, with temperatures reaching 30C further south.
Meanwhile, mountain rescuers in Cumbria have issued a heat exhaustion warning after helping two casualties.
Patterdale Mountain Rescue Team urged walkers to ensure they have proper amounts of food and water with them when they venture out.
Their warning comes after two incidents at the weekend – including one where a rescue boat had to be launched - when team medics had to help men in the Lake District.
A spokesman: “Anyone venturing in the outdoors should take adequate food and water with them at anytime of the year - particularly when it the weather conditions are hot.
“In hot and humid conditions, such as those experienced this week, dehydration and heat exhaustion can occur.”
Twenty Patterdale rescuers were called out on Saturday to help a man who had collapsed – and was suffering fits – near Howtown, on the Ullswater lake shore path.
Team members travelling on their rescue boat met paramedics at the scene, by which time the man’s condition had started to improve.
Rescuers helped him walk to the ambulance and he was taken to hospital.
But, as the team was packing its kit away at Glenridding Steamer Pier, a member of the public asked them for their help.
She had picked up an ill man and his wife behind the campsite at Side Farm, Patterdale, and taken them to Glenridding.
He, however, had become increasingly unwell as they travelled.
The man was assessed by the team doctor before being taken to Patterdale’s Ogilvie House base, where his blood pressure, pulse, oxygen concentration and temperature were assessed and an Electrocardiogram carried out.
He returned to his campsite after his condition improved.
Elsewhere, train services were suspended after reported flooding at Grayrigg in the south Lakes. A spokesman for Network Rail said that water levels reached above the train line at Grayrigg forcing all services to be suspended from 6.30pm until 8pm last night.
First published at 11:27, Monday, 29 June 2009
Published by http://www.newsandstar.co.uk
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i would hate to see something like that with my own eyes as thunder and lightning scares me, imagine the terror if something like that came down high road, kells. i think i would take up hiding in st.peters church and pray like mad
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i couldnt believe it when i heard about it but relieved that it didn't touch the ground
Posted by Anonymous on 30 June 2009 at 16:31