Did you see a "tornado" over Purbeck?

Several people contacted the Daily Echo to say they had spotted the phenomenon on Saturday morning.

Others believed what they saw was a funnel cloud – a cone-shaped cloud of condensed water droplets which can form in thunderstorms and becomes a tornado if it touches the ground.

A nurse from Poole Hospital said he and his colleagues had watched a tornado in the Swanage area from their ward window at around 9.40am.

Another reader, Simon Wood, of Alumhurst Road, Bournemouth, said he had seen “what appeared to be a tornado” over Purbeck while he was walking his dog at around 9.25-9.30am.

He said: “All the high clouds appeared to be distorted in its direction. The low raincloud came quickly from over Poole Harbour and drenched my dog and me.

“We ran back to the house where I hurriedly dried her and ran back across the road with my camera, but the rain had reduced the visibility to zero.”

Readers have been responding to our call yesterday for your pictures and observations.

Lee Dimarco said: “I was on Godlingston Hill in Swanage. It formed over five minutes and moved along the coast. It then just vanished.”

Adam Coggins said: “I spotted the tornado. No photos though, unfortunately. I grabbed my three-year-old son to show him. It was approximately 9.45am and was travelling across the top of hill south of Swanage Town.”

Craig Graham took a picture from Lower Parkstone. He said: “It was only visible for a couple of minutes before it slowly disappeared.”

Malcolm Graham took a picture from Poole as the phenomenon developed over around five minutes. He said: “Shortly afterwards, it disappeared, upwards into the cloud base.”

Did you see a tornado? Do you have pictures? Tweet us @bournemouthecho or email newsdesk@bournemouthecho.co.uk