'Mini Tornado' in Athlone sent wheelie bins flying

A 'mini tornado' almost knocked over a bus and sent wheelie bins and other items flying through the air in Athlone yesterday (Wednesday) evening.  

The Drum and Monksland areas were particularly affected by the incident, which occurred at approximately 7pm.

Two Drum residents, photographer William Quain and bus operator Willie Moore, both told the Westmeath Independent that they 'never saw anything like it before.'

Damage to roofs and garden sheds has also been reported in a housing estate in Monksland.

Mr Moore said the potent swirling wind rushed through his yard for a very brief period - 30 seconds or less - but during that time it 'lifted a bus slightly on its side' and almost toppled it over.

It also 'blew a luggage trailer across the yard' and lifted 'an industrial bin which was three-quarters full.'

He also commented on the incredibly loud noise heard during the incident.

Mr Quain said he went outside immediately before the mini tornado, and he noticed that the atmosphere was 'extraordinarily calm'.

'I then looked up and saw a stack of leaves being blown around in a funnel,' which was rapidly approaching.

He had to struggle to get back to the house before the funnel passed through, flinging a 'six or seven foot patio heater' across the decking, tossing garden furniture around, and moving two bags of coal 'four or five feet'.

'It was very narrow but it was ferociously strong. I never saw anything move so quickly,' he said.     

The road from his house was 'littered with leaves and branches of trees' afterwards.

Yesterday's incident is also reported to have caused damage to trees and buildings in Clonfert, Co Galway, and in Banagher, Co Offaly. Electricity and mobile phone coverage is also said to have been affected in some areas. 

Met Eireann has today issued a statement which said there had been 'a number of reports of funnel clouds or mini-tornados over Ireland' in the last few days.

It said the United States was 'the world capital of tornado activity,' having experienced extreme cases of wind speeds reaching up to 480 km/h.

'The tornadic activity we see in Ireland is of much lesser intensity, and should more correctly be called mini-tornados' as they tended to involve wind speeds in the approximate range of 65-115 km/h. 

'This sort of wind is sufficient to topple trees, damage chimneys and roofs, or perhaps even cause exposed walls to collapse,' said Met Eireann. 

'Because of their very small scale and their chaotic nature it is impossible to forecast mini-tornados in any accurate sense; forecasters can only give an indication that the overall weather conditions are suitable for mini-tornado formation.'