A mini-tornado has swept through a village in mid-Wales lifting up campervans and causing £100s worth of damage.

The twister hit the coastal village of Ynyslas at around 6.30am last Friday (June 7).

Shaun Watts, his son, and his father Steven were out in their campervans in Borth and Ynyslas Golf Club's car park when the mini-tornado hit and have recounted what it was like.

"Felt like being hit by a lorry" - eyewitness describes moment mini-tornado swept through Ynyslas

Shaun said he along with his father and son were in their campervans when they heard a loud roar.

Eyewitness Shaun Watts said the mini-tornado sounded like a lion roaring.Eyewitness Shaun Watts said the mini-tornado sounded like a lion roaring. (Image: SWNS)

He said: "It was like a lion roaring. Honestly, it felt like being hit by a lorry the way the campervan lifted up.

"We have been camping here for three days and thought it was quite a sheltered spot near the sea wall.

“Around 6.30am we were woken up by the sound and both our campervans being lifted at the front.

“Most of our things have been lifted and thrown over the golf course, with some items travelling over the houses near the road.

“A table we had has been snapped in two and even a frying pan has been almost bent in half and had its handle snapped off.''

The twister was so strong it lifted the front of Steve's campervan and all of Shaun's off the ground momentarily rolling the later out of bed, waking him up. 

Shaun added the force of the wind damaged his campervan, his camping gear, and even his vehicle.

Shaun Watts said the twister caused around £700 worth of damage.Shaun Watts said the twister caused around £700 worth of damage. (Image: SWNS)

The strong winds also blew the pair's mobility scooters around, snapped a frying pan and threw other possessions onto the nearby golf course.

Shaun said they suffered around £700 worth of damage from their encounter with the mini-tornado.

They spent the rest of Friday morning searching for their possessions - which they found scattered around the nearby golf course.

“That’s how strong the wind was," Shaun continued.

Despite Shaun and his family being affected by the winds, not everyone was impacted by the mini-tornado with nearby neighbours not recording any damage. 


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He said: "Stones have been lifted around our campervans but there are other vans either side that were untouched.

“The guy next to us has a bike outside and that’s still there."

Following the ordeal, Shaun said they were "a little shook up but okay.”