Ananova:

Britain will be hit by more and more devastating tornados as global warming sends our weather haywire, experts have warned.

As twisters struck the south coast, high winds battered the rest of the country and snow fell in Yorkshire, meteorologists predicted Britain's weather is set to become increasingly bizarre.

The country has already been rocked by more twisters in the past 10 months than in an average year, with more extreme weather predicted over the next few days and in November.

The Meteorological Office warned that the 0.6 Celsius rise in world temperatures over the past 100 years could mean more thunderstorms and more twisters.

Dr John Mitchell, the Met Office's head of climate research, said: "A warmer, wetter atmosphere could lead to more thunderstorms with a higher chance of tornados."

The country has been rocked by 40 tornados already this year, compared to a yearly average of 35 since 1960, according to figures from the Tornado and Storm Research Organisation (TORRO).

TORRO meteorologist Dr Terence Meaden echoed the Met Office's warning that Britain should expect more twisters over the coming years if global temperatures rise. He said: "The tornados we are getting now are causing more and more damage."

And more tornados will lash the country over the next few days as cold weather fronts move in from the Atlantic Ocean, he predicted. He said: "There's every chance that the next cold front will produce the same effect."

TORRO measured Saturday's Bognor Regis tornado at 120mph, with initial readings estimating this morning's Selsey twister at 90mph.

The worst tornado to hit Britain was the 1812 tornado at Southsea, Hants, which reached speeds of 200mph.

Long-range weather forecaster Piers Corbyn, of Weather Action, warned the country will be rocked by even worse storms next month as bad weather comes in off the Atlantic.