02 Jul 2026
A “mini-tornado” wreaked a trail of devastation after tearing through Heartwood Tea Rooms in Sandridge earlier this week.
The freak weather event hit the rear garden at around 2.30pm on Tuesday, lifting up a 4m by 4m parasol weighted down by 12 concrete blocks and slamming it into the back of the tea rooms.
The incident was watched by six people sitting in the garden at the time who were fortunately unharmed by the incident but shocked at the force of it.
The tea rooms was forced to shut the following day while a clean-up took place, with the tornado causing several thousand pounds in damage.
The owner, Dave Hearn, said the matter is now in the hands of their insurance company.
Mini-tornados are said to form during thunderstorms when warm air rises through colder air. Under certain conditions the air starts to spin, and when it touches down on the ground, creates a tornado. However, these particular weather conditions were not reported in Sandridge on Tuesday.
