The Scottish Green party has said climate change could be to blame for the storm.
ADVERTISEMENTA ‘localised tornado’ has severely damaged homes in Greater Manchester as Storm Gerrit batters the UK.
Thousands of people are also without power and travel has been plunged into chaos across the country.
Scotland has experienced heavy snowfall as well as high winds and torrential rain.
Electricity outages have been caused by falling trees and branches bringing down power lines.
Tornado damages houses in the UK
The ‘localised tornado’ is reported to have caused ‘significant damage’ to around 100 properties in Stalybridge in Tameside.
Roofs were ripped off houses, walls collapsed and trees were brought down.
“This incident has undoubtedly affected numerous people in the Stalybridge area with many residents displaced from their properties during the night,” said Chief Superintendent Mark Dexter of the Greater Manchester Police (GMP).
The GMP received ‘numerous reports’ late on Wednesday evening and declared a major incident due to the severity of damage and the possible risk to public safety.
The force said there have been no reports of injuries but many people were forced to flee their homes.
“Our highest priority is keeping people safe which is why we are advising those who have been displaced not to return [to] or enter their properties which have significant damage until they have been assessed by structural engineers,” Dexter added.
“I would also like to urge members of the public to avoid the area where possible and take extra care when travelling in vehicles on the roads in Stalybridge and the surrounding areas, due to debris in the road.”
Scotland loses power as Storm Gerrit hits
Areas of Scotland have been left without power as the storm sweeps the country. Around 16,000 properties are waiting to be reconnected.
Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) have been working to restore connections but say engineers are battling winds of up to 130 km/h in some coastal areas.
The company has managed to restore power to 25,000 homes so far.
“The widespread extent of the damage, the ongoing adverse weather conditions, and the challenges accessing faults due to fallen trees, flooding and road closures, together mean that full network restoration will take time,” an SSEN spokesman said.
“Some customers in rural areas may be off supply for up to 48 hours.”
Was Storm Gerrit caused by climate change?
The Scottish Green party has said climate change could be the blame for the storm.
"[It is] clear we are suffering ever more severe weather as the climate crisis worsens," the party said.
ADVERTISEMENTIt added that "we must ensure we can adapt and act accordingly."
Though it’s impossible to pinpoint exactly how much of a role climate change played in generating the tornado, environmental experts have warned that climate change could make storms worse.
