Weather watchers in Dundee and Coupar Angus caught some unusual and striking pictures of lightning and a ‘tornado’ on Tuesday after a thunderstorm hit the area.
A spectacular lightning bolt was captured above Dundee during the May 18 storm by local Noah McElfatrick.
Meanwhile another local spotted a ‘tornado’ forming over Tullybaccart in Coupar Angus as he captured pictures of the storm rumbling along the Sidlaws.
Whilst unusual in Scotland, tornados have been reported in the past. Weather experts at the Met Office explain they are most likely to be funnel clouds.
Difference between a funnel cloud and tornado
“Funnel clouds or ‘tuba’ are extending, spinning fingers of cloud that reach towards the ground, but never touch it. When they do reach the ground they become a tornado,” the Met Office explains.
They add: “In the UK they often look like thin dangling bits of rope, hanging from the cloud above.
“Crucially, 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.
Dundee and Angus was hit by heavy rain and thunderstorms throughout the evening on Tuesday.
As well as thunder locals also saw bolts of lightning as a result of the weather.
It comes as Scotland comes close to breaking a new weather record, with this May set to be one the coldest in 40 years.
Unless the mercury rises above 20°C by Friday it will be the first time in some 40 years that it has failed to do so.
TV weatherman Sean Batty told STV that he hadn’t seen any part of Scotland reach 20°C this year.
He said: “If nowhere exceeds 20C before Friday, which won’t happen, it’ll be the first time that a temperature over 20C hasn’t been recorded before May 21 since 1983.”
The weather forecast this weekend
The Met Office predicts Dundee, Angus, and Fife will have a wet and windy end to this week before a more settled weekend.
With some showers forecast for Wednesday and Thursday, the forecasts from Friday to Sunday reads: “Cloudy with further rain on Friday, perhaps heavy at times in the east, brightening in west.
“Sunny spells and scattered light showers over the weekend. Cool.”
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