A mini tornado destroyed windows and walls at JCB world headquarters in the UK on Thursday, November 17, causing production to be delayed.
The hurricane force winds tore into the side of the factory where backhoe loaders are produced at the World HQ in Rocester, Staffordshire, England.
During the storm a wall collapsed and windows were smashed at the factory, but no-one was injured in the incident.
The mini tornado caused a wall to collapse at the JCB factory
Production was suspended for 30 minutes while safety checks were carried out. Clear up operations then began and the area beyond the wall declared safe.
Once the area had been cordoned off, production lines were quickly back up and running at the factory.
Luckily no-one was in the vicinity at the time when the wall fell, according to JCB Backhoe Assembly Manager Richard Williams, of Stramshall, near Uttoxeter.
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,” he said.
The storm began in the afternoon and increased in strength as day went on, to levels never seen before, a JCB spokesman said.
“Shortly after midday the skies blackened and powerful winds moved in, literally 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,” he said.