‘Mini-tornado’ hits Coventry as heavy rain causes damage to local area

A ‘mini-tornado’ in the Finham area caused by high winds and storms left a trail of destruction earlier this month, leaving local residents with hundreds of pounds of damages.

The weather event, which struck at approximately 6:30pm on Tuesday 8 October, uprooted trees and caused significant damage to homes, with shocked locals comparing the sound to “a train coming” or “a bomb going off.”

The destruction in Finham was widespread, affecting both trees and homes. Some trees were left destroyed or damaged by the heavy rain and winds, whilst residents also reported significant damage to their homes caused by the so-called ‘mini-tornado’.

One photo showed a flooded area outside [the University’s] Claycroft residences, whilst roads into and out of campus were also affected

Students at the University were also met with disruption caused by the heavy rain, as significant flooding swamped the campus. One photo showed a flooded area outside the Claycroft residences, whilst roads into and out of campus were also affected.

A towering 100ft-high tree in Finham crashed into four gardens, leaving a ‘massive hole’ behind on Beanfield Avenue. Curtis Carvell, whose property was one of those affected, remarked on the rarity of the event. He told BBC News: “It’s not every day you have a tree fall over – it’s probably been there for 200 years.”

Other residents reported similar chaos. David Powers described the experience as sounding “more like a big train coming”, adding that: “It took all the bins – it didn’t just blow them over, it threw them into the road.”

Marian Allder, a resident who lost 10 ridge tiles from her roof in the event, echoed the sentiment, calling the mini-tornado “terrifying”.

Further destruction was also caused by the weather event, which came amid a slew of heavy rain across the UK. Smaller trees were snapped in half, and several homes experienced damage, including fence panels being torn from their fixtures, and bricks falling down.

The trees were being shaken in a way I’ve never seen before. It must have caused thousands of pounds worth of damage to people’s roofs

Derek Foster, Finham resident

Kay Cooke was in her house when the storm hit, and said: “I thought the conservatory roof was going to come in, and the chairs outside were going everywhere.”

Although covered by her home insurance, Ms Cooke estimated that she will still have to pay around £300 for repairs caused by the damages. She added that: “It was over in a few minutes, but you couldn’t even open the front door because of the wind.”

Another resident, Derek Foster, 66, said that the ‘mini-tornado’ had “sounded like a bomb going off”. He said: “The trees were being shaken in a way I’ve never seen before. It must have caused thousands of pounds worth of damage to people’s roofs.”

Neil McCuthion echoed the sentiment of the damage caused, as he reported that planks from his scaffolding were torn off by the powerful winds. He told Birmingham Live: “I noticed the trees starting to sway a bit, and then they were bending virtually either way, and that’s when we noticed the planks were flying off the scaffolding.”

While the ‘mini-tornado’ was brief, lasting only five to ten minutes, the damages caused have left a lasting impression on the local community, with residents now beginning to assess the full extent of the damage in its aftermath.