Residents of Carluke, Lanark and Carnwath were treated to a weather anomaly rarely seen in Scotland last weekend.
Visitor at the Carnwath Agricultural Show, Colin Dunlop had his camera at the ready as he shot images of what he thought was a Tornado forming in the skies.
Reader Ian Mullen, also sent in an image he captured while driving on Hyndford Road around 1pm on Saturday, July 25 while leaving Lanark.
Tornadoes form during thunderstorms when warm, humid air collides with colder air to form a swirling vortex that extends down from the clouds and sometimes reaches the ground where it can cause extensive damage.
Warmer air rises rapidly above colder air, forming an updraft that begins to move in a swirling motion and reaches along the length of the column to cause the classic spinning, or twisting.
Just as water leaves a bath more efficiently by spinning down the plughole, so warm, humid air rises more effectively through a storm cloud by twisting in the vortex.
Vortex captured on film over Lanarkshire
Did you see anything over the weekend, if so let us know or send your images by email to: john.macinnes@jpress.co.uk
Britain experiences about 33 tornadoes on average a year but it can depend on the number of summer storms. In 2003, there were just nine tornadoes reported to the Met Office, whereas in 1981 there were 156.
Nick Grahame, chief forecaster at the Meteorological Office
