A three-year-old girl was taken to hospital after strong winds sent two bouncy castles flying at a Father’s Day picnic.
Families at the event rushed to help as one inflatable hit a tree, whipped up by what witnesses described as sudden, ‘tornado-like’ winds yesterday afternoon.
One man told of the ‘devastation’ the wind caused at the Ashes Playing Fields in Howden, East Yorkshire, adding that ‘there were branches falling and hitting people’ and that the weather ‘just came from nowhere’.
Another witness said the bouncy castles were ‘taken away like plastic bags’, adding: ‘Never seen wind like it before in England.’
Freak storm causes chaos at event in Howden, Yorkshire. A bouncy castle and larger bouncy slide were sent flying by the strong winds
Paramedics took four people – including the young girl, whose injuries are not thought to be serious – to three hospitals in the area. It is believed the bouncy castles were empty when they blew away.
This latest accident follows the 2016 death of Summer Grant, seven, who was killed when a bouncy castle at a fairground in Harlow, Essex, blew away with her inside.
The ‘freak tornado’ ripped through the Ashes Playing Fields in the Yorkshire town, on Sunday afternoon, as residents watched on – later describing how they had ‘never experienced anything like that’ and were ‘stunned’.
A castle can be seen rolling along the ground as people struggle to secure it
Ambulance crews attend the scene at Howden after the strong winds caused injuries
Children had been seen playing on the bouncy castle at the event, but were believed to have been evacuated from the inflatables before they lifted from the ground and hit nearby trees.
Reacting to the incident, one person said: ‘My son was about to go on the bouncy castle but I said no cos the rain started.
’20 seconds later the bouncy castle was thrown into the trees. Feeling a bit stunned but thankful for a split decision to walk away. Hope everyone OK. Pretty scary.’
Meanwhile a second said: ‘Yes there were three people injured after what felt like a tornado ripped through the park. Ambulances on the scene now and thankfully all involved appear to be OK.’
Another person who was at the event said he ‘feared the worst’ and believed two people were injured.
He said: ‘Couldn’t believe it. Feared the worst when we all legged it over.
Fire fighters attend with first aid kits and appear to be tending to an injured event goer
Another inflatable which was deemed to dangerous for use during the event
Fair goers rally round to secure the large inflatable castle during strong winds – branches pulled from nearby trees by the inflatable can be seen on the ground
‘Shows the great community spirit everyone has by rushing over to help. Hope the 2 people injured are ok.’
One witness who was in the park at the time has described the moment the tornado struck. He said: ‘It was just throwing it down. It was like a tropical storm.
‘The winds came from absolutely nowhere.
‘People were running. They didn’t have time to think.
‘The bouncy castle just took off. It just blew up over the trees and rolled in the allotment.’
Howden Ashes playing fields said: ‘We would like to thank the emergency services and everyone who helped after the unexpected freak weather hit the Picnic In The Park event on Sunday.
Howden Ashes thanked the emergency services on Twitter for their help during the event
A bouncy castle and larger bouncy slide were sent flying by the strong winds
‘With emergency services on site throughout the event they were able to react quickly after the sudden tornado-like weather which damaged attractions and trees, blowing over a bouncy castle and an inflatable slide which thankfully had been quickly evacuated as soon as the heavy rain started so no one was on either.
‘The members of the public who were present were also incredibly helpful and patient in helping us identify anyone who needed medical help and direct assistance their way. Their willingness to help shows the community spirit of this town at its best.
‘The affected area of the park remains cordoned off for safety reasons due to damaged trees, please avoid this section of the park until we can make it safe.
‘We wish those injured a speedy recovery.’
Stalls ruined and marques destroyed did not dampen the community spirit as locals banded together to help salvage what was left of the event following the ‘tropical storm’
Reports suggest two or three people were injured during the freak weather but the extent of the injuries suffered are unclear
Wind speeds in the Humberside area were only predicted to reach 17mph today – despite the chaotic scenes indicating gusts were far stronger.
Severe weather across the country over the last day has seen almost 600 families in Lincolnshire evacuated from their homes following flooding – after a week of heavy rain caused a nearby river to burst its banks.
Hundreds more homes across the country are still at risk of flooding with 14 environment agency warnings still in place, mostly across the west of England, and 31 flood alerts in Humberside, around Bournemouth and in the area surrounding Greater Manchester.
And the bad weather is set to continue as the Met Office issued thunderstorm warnings for Tuesday and Wednesday, following further showers today.
An aerial photo shows flooding in Wainfleet All Saints in Lincolnshire. A house next to a level crossing has been submerged along with the railway line and a blue car. Almost 600 families have now been evacuated from the area
Homeowner John Rowlings splashing along his driveway outside his home on Croft Lane in Wainfleet, Lincolnshire. Earlier this week two months worth of rain deluged the area in two days
Families living in Wainfleet All Saints and nearby Thorpe Culvert were told to leave on Saturday as rain continued to hit the area.
The towns were first flooded on Wednesday, after more than two months’ worth of rain fell in two days.
On Friday three RAF Chinook helicopters had to drop 270 one-tonne sandbags in an attempt to repair the River Steeping’s burst bank, which had led to the flooding.
Hundreds of homes remain at risk of flooding across England after 14 flood warnings and 31 flood alerts were issued this morning (left). A yellow level thunderstorm warning is also in place for Tuesday and Wednesday as Britain’s summer looks set to be put on hold until at least Thursday
Last night, the bell to evacuate a further 300 homes was sounded and officers from the Environment Agency and Maritime and Coastguard Agency helped families make their way to higher ground.
Dozens spent the night in temporary emergency centres.
Horrifying images from this morning show cars, railway lines and houses sunk several feet in the floodwater that shows no sign of reversing.
And officers are still advising families not to return home as more heavy rain is forecast for the area.
A double rainbow forms off the coast of Whitley Bay on the North East coast after heavy rains
Skies begun to clear as the rainbow shone off the coast of Whitley Bay on the North East coast today
