Sussex weather: Tornado warning issued across county amid stormy weather

The Tornado and Storm Research Organisation (TORRO) said there is a chance of ‘isolated tornadoes’ in the South East – including Sussex – until 4pm today.

There may also be wind gusts of 55 to 60mph, hail and isolated lightning, according to the organisation.

It comes following a yellow weather warning for wind and rain, which the Met Office has warned may result in a ‘small chance of injuries and danger to life’.

A spokesperson for TORRO said: “A cold front will cross the area overnight and on Thursday, with one or more waves developing along it, in response to an upper short-wave trough. Several areas of precipitation should accompany this, with some embedded convection possible.

"This may organise into one or more lines, and perhaps some cellular activity too. The lines may include misocyclones, and a low-topped supercell or two is possible in any discrete convection.”

Sussex has been hit with several tornadoes over the past six months, with Littlehampton bearing the brunt of the severe weather on two occasions. In September, one person was left injured, while at least 20 cars were damaged, following a tornado which hit the town in the middle of the night.

A resident in Eastbourne also captured footage of a tornado off the coast back in 2021, in addition to another potential sighting in 2020.

A spokesperson from the Met Office said at the time: “Tornadoes are fairly common in the UK, especially in this time of year. We typically see around 30 a year in the UK.

“They tend to be small and short-lived, but can cause structural damage if they pass over built up areas.”