[Tony Gilbert]

Press report http://www.portsmouth.co.uk/news/local/east-hampshire/strong_winds_...

CONCLUSION



Visited Fordingbridge Road for a partial site investigation today, Sun 8th Jan.

Would appear that only the roof of one house was effected by winds that day at that location. Based on the localised isolation of the event and limited damage my opinion is that the damage may have been caused by some type of eddy wind derived from interaction of SLW associated with a squall line, running over several rows of houses lying at right angles to the mean low level vector. Eyewitness report definite circulation overhead with airborne debris! The existance of a brief but strong eddy wind would seem plausible and might help explain the peaked level of damage and debris aloft at the one place and time!

Damage was located half way down Fordingbridge road on the west side. Scaffolding was in place to allow builders to replace missing party firewall coping stones and ridge tiles on the roof. A further search was made along adjacent roads to west and east of the property. No other visible damage found.

This post has been edited by Tony Gilbert: 08 January 2012 - 14:07

[stormy sam]

hey i live around the corner from their!! wow, also iv got another link
http://en.wikipedia....rnadoes_in_2012

I also recall on that day a dozen trees on the pavement/ road on the side of new road.

[stormy sam]

hey a few days ago I went down fordingbridge road their was no damage and I also have a friend who has seen it and she described it as a huge twisting gust of wind with lots of small shards of glass spinning in it and apparently it picked up someone's trampoline and chucked it over three gardens. so i hope this info helps you.

This post has been edited by stormy sam: 02 March 2012 - 17:48

[Tony Gilbert]

stormy sam, on 02 March 2012 - 17:46, said:

hey a few days ago I went down fordingbridge road their was no damage and I also have a friend who has seen it and she described it as a huge twisting gust of wind with lots of small shards of glass spinning in it and apparently it picked up someone's trampoline and chucked it over three gardens. so i hope this info helps you.

Hi Sam. Thanx for making these further enquiries!....I do not doubt that some type of intermittent vortex/ vortexes existed for a brief period of time in that part of Portsmouth that day. This may have been a weak tornado? Though having undertaken numerous tornado site investigations I don't recall a categorised tornado event touch down and lift effecting just 'one roof' (as per the particular location of my investigation!) Though no doubt in theory maybe this would be possible! Without further evidence these events could just as easily be attributed to straight lined winds and associated eddy's between houses as the squall moved through. The level of damage was just too minor to be conclusive IMO!

This post has been edited by Tony Gilbert: 02 March 2012 - 19:05

[Howard Kirby]

It always amazes me that people use trampolines as evidence of tornadoes...I could probably blow one over myself!

[Tony Gilbert]

Howard Kirby, on 02 March 2012 - 19:20, said:

It always amazes me that people use trampolines as evidence of tornadoes...I could probably blow one over myself!

Yes this is true, Howard! ...Though I have also noted some eyewitness reports stating that they have not flipped but actually hovered past the window 30ft aloft. Though agreed in general not a good point of evidence in most cases!

This post has been edited by Tony Gilbert: 02 March 2012 - 19:34

[stormy sam]

lol glad it helped you yeah it was proberbly a small eddy wind (in my opinion) but im still looking into it since i know lots of people who might of seen it becuase they live down the road!! but ill have to see.

This post has been edited by stormy sam: 10 March 2012 - 21:59