An early-stage tornado known as a funnel cloud was spotted in the sky near Swindon this afternoon.
Local man Dan Smee told Wiltshire 999s that he spotted the twisting cloud formation south-east of the town, possibly in the Aldbourne area at around 1.45pm.
When a funnel cloud touches the land is then consider a tornado, a weather phenomenon which is rarely seen across the UK.
A spokesperson for the Met Office said: “A funnel cloud does not reach the earth’s surface, at the point it reaches land it becomes a tornado, or if it reaches a body of water it becomes a waterspout.
“In a typical year, the UK sees around 30-35 tornadoes each year, though it is very rare that are they strong enough to cause any significant damage.”
The news comes as Wiltshire is braced for a yellow warning assigned storm from 4pm today.
