Tameside tornado: Major update following 'whirlwind of madness' that destroyed homes across town

More than 30 households are unable return home three days after a tornado ripped through Stalybridge leaving a trail of destruction. Around 100 homes are thought to have been damaged following the extreme weather event - said to be the strongest tornado in the UK for almost 20 years.

The roofs of two houses were ripped off. Winds of up to 160mph brought down chimneys and roof tiles, as well as uprooting trees. Cars were smashed by falling debris, and a piece of slate even became lodged in a vehicle.

The clean-up operation in the Tameside town is ongoing as residents seek to recoup their losses through insurance companies. As of Saturday night (December 30), 32 households are unable to return to their properties after being forced to evacuate when Storm Gerrit hit shortly before midnight on Wednesday (December 27), council bosses said.

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Fortunately, nobody is understood to have been hurt. People said trees toppled 'like dominoes'. One woman described it as a 'whirlwind of madness'.

A spokesperson for Tameside council has now revealed that 76 dangerous building act notices have been issued, with 32 households unable to 'return to their homes until works are complete and their properties deemed safe'.

Nobody has yet declared themselves homeless and those evacuated are staying with friends and family, the town hall added.

On Saturday (December 29) residents on Calico Crescent in Carrbrook, left without gable ends and roof tiles, were cleaning the neighbourhood. Asked what damage the storm did to his home of nine years,