A TORNADO damaged homes as it swept across the South coast.

Lancing was the target of the powerful funnel cloud which struck the roof of flats in Howard Road, causing shock and confusion among residents.

It was one of two tornadoes that hit the UK on Tuesday, with another recorded by the Met Office in Blackpool.

Some people did not believe what they were seeing and dismissed the claims but the Met Office confirmed it was genuine.

Diane Gold said: “I live in Howard Street and our roof has been damaged in the block of flats.

“I was here when it happened about midday – it’s real.”

Another onlooker, Steve Hyder, said: “I saw it while driving down the A27, it was massive.”

But Angi Waldram said: “Haven’t seen anything reported. Not sure if it amounted to much.”

The Met Office confirmed it was enough to be classed as a tornado because the vortex touched the ground. Officials did not see the tornado live but studied reports and pictures on social media.

It is not the first time a tornado has hit Sussex. In 2015, a 50-metre wide blast was spotted near Poynings.

In Selsey in 2014, a tornado-like cloud whirled out at sea.

It was the third the town had seen after similar dramas in 1998 and 1986.

In June 2011, a tornado was seen spiralling on the Brighton coast. It was caused by convection currents in gathering storm clouds.

The Selsey and Brighton gusts differ to the more recent ones because, if they develop at sea, they are classed as waterspouts while tornadoes are land-based and must touch the ground.

They start in the same manner, from powerful, rotating thunderstorms, and waterspouts tend to happen in warm temperatures when humidity levels are high.

Tornadoes can hit speeds of up to 302mph but the average ranges from 75 to 100mph.

The speed of the twister that hit Lancing is unknown.

Typical tornadoes are between 20 and 100 metres wide at the surface and they usually last just a few minutes.

A Met Office spokesman said: “Pictures show some thunder storm clouds which could have produced the tornado from a funnel cloud.”