Weather gets even crazier as DUST DEVIL sweeps across field after firefighters put out blaze
- Fire crews filmed the dust devil after a grass fire in County Durham
- They tweeted the footage of the rare weather phenomenon
- Usually occurs in deserts or arid landscapes where it is hot and dry
- Dust devil came as the country experienced another heatwave
As temperatures continue to soar, a rare dust devil has been filmed sweeping through a field after firefighters put out a wildfire.
The freak weather phenomenon was spotted by fire crews after the grass fire in a country field in Brandon, County Durham on Thursday afternoon.
County Durham & Darlington Fire and Rescue Service tweeted the footage on their account @cddfrs with the caption: ‘Here’s something you don’t see everyday! This is a dust devil from a wildfire in Brandon this afternoon.
‘Dust devils form when a pocket of hot air near the surface rises quickly through cooler air above it, forming an updraft. Some may say it is out of this whirl! #HereAllWeek.’
The rare weather event usually occurs in deserts or arid landscapes where hot and dry conditions prevail- and is not often seen in Britain.
In the clip, the twister kicked up debris into the air as it swept across the barren field.
In the clip, the twister kicked up debris into the air as it swept across the barren field in Brandon, County Durham
Firefighters filmed the clip after tackling the grass fire. The rare weather event usually occurs in deserts or arid landscapes where hot and dry conditions prevail- and is not often seen in Britain
Responding to the clip, one person wrote: ‘Well, that’s another one to tick off on my ‘stuff that we didn’t expect to see already in 2022 #ClimateChaos bingo card’.
What is a dust devil?
This phenomenon is an upward spiralling, dust filled vortex of air that may vary in height from a few feet to over 1,000.
They are usually several metres in diameter at the base, then narrowing for a short distance before expanding again.
They mainly occur in desert and semi-arid areas, where the ground is dry and high surface temperatures produce strong updrafts.
The initial rotation may be caused by irregularities in the surface. Unlike tornadoes, dust devils grow upwards from the ground, rather than down from clouds.
In the stronger dust devils, a cumulous cloud can be seen at the top of the rising column of warm air. They only last a few minutes because cool air is sucked into the base of the rising vortex, cooling the ground and cutting off its heat supply.
Source: Met Office
Another added: ‘Very dangerous in this context, as it can carry burning embers a long way to start new fires!’
A third added: ‘That’s very impressive’ while another added: ‘Looks more like Kansas than Britain, crazy stuff.’
The dust devil came as the mercury hit 33C (91F) in London today and was expected to hit 34C (93F) in a second country-wide heatwave.
Other grass fires have begun to sweep the country, including an inferno which was said to be caused by a disposable barbecue in Dorset, despite firefighters warning not to use them in rural areas.
Heat-related illnesses including sunburn and heat exhaustion are ‘likely’ among the general population, and delays to public transport are ‘possible’.
Harvey Bradshaw, chair of the National Drought Group, told Radio 4’s Today programme that people are suffering and that there is ‘real stress’.
He said that over the last 12 months nearly every month we have had below average rainfall, low levels or exceptionally low levels.
Labour has called on the Government to summon a meeting of the Cobra civil contingencies committee to ensure water supplies are protected amid the ongoing drought.
Deputy leader Angela Rayner criticized the Government saying their inaction is creating a dust ‘bowl Britain’ and that there needs to be a plan to protect the water system.
Pre-season rugby games are being forced to be cancelled because the surfaces are unplayable after weeks without rain.
The pitches have burned out and crusted over, making them rock hard and bringing an element of risk as it increases the chances of players suffering injuries.
Meanwhile summer will come to an abrupt end on Monday, as a lower-level yellow warning for thunderstorms is in for the entirety of the UK.
As much as 20mm to 30mm of rainfall could be seen in an hour, meaning there is a ‘small chance’ of flooding in and the potential for power cuts.
However the rainfall may not help alleviate drought conditions as the parched ground doesn’t easily absorb water, instead it tends to run off the surface.
This means the rainfall is transported quickly into streams and rivers and increases the chance of a flash flood.
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