Strong winds and lightning strikes batter much of UK

Met Office says it could not verify if strong gusts in Newcastle-under-Lyme in Staffordshire were a tornado

Strong winds and hundreds of lightning strikes have battered much of England, Wales and Northern Ireland with a possible tornado reported in Staffordshire.

The Met Office said it could not verify if the strong gusts in Newcastle-under-Lyme were a tornado but added that the winds forecast on Monday morning had some potential" to create one.