'Tornado' flattens garage after striking Harrow in 'scene from Wizard of Oz'

A suspected tornado damaged cars and homes when it struck London in "a scene from the Wizard of Oz".

Firefighters said a garage collapsed and roof tiles were blown off houses as Britain was braced for another storm gathering pace across the Atlantic .

The "severe" weather struck in Harrow, north west London, on Tuesday afternoon.

Crews were called at just before 1.15pm when the garage, which was attached to a house, collapsed.

London Fire Brigade said cars in nearby roads also suffered minor damage, but no one was hurt.

Watch manager Mark Ritson, who was at the scene, said: "The weather was quite severe leading up to it.

"It was sunny, but then the sky went black, there was thunder and lightning, hailstones and strong winds.

"By the time we turned up to the address it was blue sky and sunny again."

Mr Ritson added: "The tornado whizzed through the area, some roof tiles were blown off and caused minor damage to properties and cars in nearby roads, but fortunately nobody was injured."

A fire engine from Harrow fire station and other specialist vehicles attended the incident before crews left the scene at about 2.30pm.

LFB urged residents to ensure loose objects, such as garden furniture and items on balconies, are secure.

Crews are on standby to help in the event of structural damage or accidents caused by the weather.

The brigade also shared details of the incident on Twitter, telling followers it was "like a scene from the Wizard of Oz".

We believe that a mini tornado has levelled a single storey garage & damaged cars on Grafton Road in #Harrow . Thankfully no one injured.

— London Fire Brigade (@LondonFire) January 13, 2015

"Tornado whizzed through #Harrow . By the time we turned up to the address it was blue sky and sunny again." Read more http://t.co/sEF810J8pG

— London Fire Brigade (@LondonFire) January 13, 2015

Assistant Commissioner Tim Cutbill, head of operational resilience, said: "London firefighters are fully trained and available to help anyone who might be affected by the weather.

"We are on hand should any buildings, hoardings, or scaffolding be left in a precarious position in the high winds posing a risk to life."