Workers at JCB’s world headquarters in Staffordshire were stunned on Thursday when a mini tornado caused a wall to collapse and windows to crash to the ground.
Production of diggers stopped after the tornado tore into the side of the factory. No one was injured in the incident and the factory was back up and running after 30 minutes. The damaged areas have been cordoned off.
JCB’s assembly manager, Richard Williams, said: “I was about 30 yards away at the time and I heard an enormous crash. I turned around and saw the wall and the windows had come out and a big whirlwind of leaves and branches blowing around outside. Luckily no one was in the vicinity at the time.”
The JCB factory was one of the sites hit by winds of more than 70mph that battered Staffordshire, Shropshire and mid-Wales. Trees were uprooted and buildings were damaged as a series of small, brief tornadoes left a trail of destruction.
A JCB spokesman said: “Shortly after midday the skies blackened and powerful winds moved in, whipping up big waves on the lake at the front of the factory. Employees who have been here for decades said they had never seen anything like it.”
JCB is one of Britain’s biggest private companies, employing about 12,000 people, with half of those in Britain.
By Sean Farrell
Friday 18 November 2016 03.36 EST
‘Mini tornado’ damage at JCB’s world HQ Photograph: JCB
