PICTURES: 'Mini-tornado' causes trail of destruction
Yesterday afternoon the borough was hit by a mini-tornado, which swept through Hindley, destroying cars, trees and fence panels.
Residents in the Belmont Road area were disturbed by sudden high winds which left a trail of destruction.
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Hide AdFirefighters were called out after a tree was uprooted and fell on a car in the Castle Hill Road area.
And neighbours have reported a number of windows being broken and debris swept up and hurled through the air.
Eyewitness Kirsty Roe, of Belmont Road, said: "There a number of windows which have been taken out and fences have been damaged.
"You can see where a tree has been ripped up and fallen on a car around the corner.
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Hide Ad"It was weird - there was an almighty bang and our windows started rattling.
"You could see a circle of dust and debris which had been whipped up."
A Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service spokesman confirmed that Hindley firefighters had been called out to deal with a tree which had fallen on a car in the Castle Hill Road area.
A Met Office spokesman said: "There is a chance that a tornado, may have struck in this location.
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Hide Ad"When people mention tornados they often think about large-scale events which can cause major damage.
"But there can be more localised, smaller events. The key factor will be whether the weather event makes contact with the ground. If it doesn't, then it's a funnel cloud, but if it does than it can be classified as a tornado."
At around 10pm last night, the borough was hit again, this time by a huge thunder and lightning storm which ripped through the sky for around 15 minutes.
Spectacular fork lightning lit up the night sky and the heavens opened in a dramatic turn in the weather. Thankfully firefighters have not reported attending to any more damage caused overnight.