Tornado provides nasty wake-up

A tornado that formed at sea, graded F1 on the Fujita-Pearson scale, caused serious damage early this morning in Torremolinos, Churriana and near Malaga airport.  

The tornado hit land in Playamar, Torremolinos at about 7am and lifted the roof from the Copacabana beach bar, overturning pedalos before heading along the Coin road and Avenida Garcia Morato towards Churriana, pulling up trees and destroying walls and premises on route. 

Two employees working at the BP garage by the airport entrance explained they were terrified and didn’t know what to do as they watched the tornado cross the forecourt, lifting everything in its path.

“We hid inside the shop with the door closed. It lifted metal roofs and threw them towards the airport, cars were destroyed and the carwash and canopy have been damaged,” said Mari del Carmen Garcia, one of the petrol station workers.

Firefighters worked afterwards to clean up debris and broken glass.

Provisional reports from Malaga Council stated that the petrol station and three cars parked there suffered damage.

Seventeen vehicles parked at the Holiday Golf parking area were also affected and two caravans were reportedly lifted and moved about 10 metres. Warehouses in the area have also reported damage to roofs and at least 30 trees required removal from roads by council parks and gardens workers.