Four tornados strike Arizona in just one day

The state of Arizona was hit by four tornados on Wednesday, the rare swarm of tornados ripped through parts of the state causing considerable damage, normally the region is hit by only four tornados a year, however 22 extreme weather warnings were issued.

So far no casualties have been reported, however a number of homes and vehicles were destroyed, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Phoenix, said: “The hammering that northern Arizona is getting right now is exceptional. ‘It’s not uncommon this time of year to have one or two tornado reports or a warning, but this is quite an outbreak.”

It has been reported that around 30 houses in Bellemont have been severely damaged with residents evacuated and moved to temporary shelters, also a camper van park off the Interstate 40 was also struck, with dozens of vans blown over which has caused debris to be strewn across locals roads, causing problems for traffic. There was also several train carriages derailed as a result of the tornados.

A low-pressure system has been situated over central and southern California, this is thought to have caused the tornados, and this system is now drifting northwards. Earlier in the week the same weather system traveled across the west of the U.S. dropping a record amount of rain in northern Nevada. Also because of this weather system two teenagers were hospitalized on Tuesday in Utah after they were struck by lightning outside their school.

Picture courtesy of tlindenbaum

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