At about 3.45 pm I saw a rotating column of vapour /air about 15feet wide
at the point at which it touched the ground and about this diameter all the
way up to cloudbase.The column rose up and down several hundred feet every
30seconds or so over a 5 minute period with the earth end of the column
travelling an erratic path towards the Leeds Grammar school building.approx
north in direction.I was sat in my car waiting for my boy and the column
passed about 50yds away.Trees were bent over almost double (50ft) high
ones.Leaves and branches were torn off but I only saw one smaller tree
snap.You could see debris spinning within the column which was dark grey
,but not as dark as the cloud above. As the column ran into the school
buildings from the playground side, the column abruptly lifted about 100ft
above the buildings tearing off tiles from the roof as it passed over,
It then disapeared from view to the north.
My boy in the school reported the windows severely shaking but not
breaking. There was no real roaring sound just a high wind noise.
Funnily enough I did`nt switch on the engine to try and make a quick
getaway ,I subconciously thought the tornado was`nt strong enough to do real
damage to the car ,stupid really.