CLOSE ENCOUNTER The twister over Knock on Saturday last.
‘Twister’ over Knock
Michael Commins
THIS is the moment that a small tornado appeared in the skies above Knock. The photo was taken by Darren McGann from Mace, Barnacarroll who spotted the twister shortly after 2pm last Friday. The twister drops down from the main cloud cover with the spire of Knock Basilica visible to the right.
Darren, who works with the family business, McGann’s Plaster Mouldings, was loading the van when he spotted the funnel in the sky. “The weather at the time was warm with some heavy localised showers. The twister lasted for close on four minutes before it began to get smaller and it eventually disappeared. Strangely enough, I also saw one last year near the same place. That one was only about a third the size of the one on Friday. I took this picture which clearly shows the tornado above the Knock landscape. It was a sight to behold but I’m glad it didn’t touch down,” says Darren.
Twisters, as they tend to call them in America, can cause immense damage if they touch down. They tend to suck up everything in their path and have caused widespread damage, as well as death on numerous occasions. Several parts of the mid-west of America have been especially prone to twisters this season, many of which have left a trail of destruction in their wake.
Ireland has had its share of smaller tornadoes in recent years. One touched down in the Williamstown area of Galway while another did extensive damage in Co Meath.
Other areas around the country have also recorded twisters. They are a reminder of the enduring power of nature which can strike at any time.
