The UK's 'tornado alley' that runs from Birmingham to London

Fans of the new movie Twisters have found themselves obsessed with a natural phenomenon (and no, we’re not talking about Glen Powell in a cowboy hat.)

Tornadoes occur when there is a clash of air masses creating instability in the atmosphere.

While tornados may seem rare here in the UK, especially when compared with the scenes in the new blockbuster hit, we actually have a high number of Twisters each year.

Read more: Your London

The major difference is that UK tornadoes are usually small and short-lived, often lasting only a few minutes and affecting limited areas.

The UK actually has one of the highest densities of reported tornadoes per unit area in the world, although these tornadoes are generally much weaker than those in the US.

On average, the UK experiences about 30-50 tornadoes per year.

Across the pond, a high proportion of twisters occur in ‘Tornado Alley’ which runs roughly north from Texas through Oklahoma, Kansas, and Nebraska to South Dakota. But did you know the UK has its own ‘Tornado Alley’ and you probably live in the middle of it?

The so-called "Tornado Alley" in the UK mainly refers to areas in central England, including parts of the Midlands and the South East.

According to the University of Manchester: “The UK's tornado alley is really three regions, most in southern England: an area south of a line between Reading and London with a maximum near Guildford, locations southwest of Ipswich and a line west and south of Birmingham.”

The corridor stretching from Manchester through Birmingham to London is particularly noted for Twister activity. Tornadoes can occur at any time of the year in the UK, but they are most common between May and October, with a peak in the summer months.

Most UK tornadoes are weak, usually classified as EF0 or EF1 on the Enhanced Fujita scale, with wind speeds ranging from 65 to 110 mph (105 to 177 km/h). Occasionally, stronger tornados (up to EF2 or EF3) can occur but are much rarer.

You can track UK tornados here.