Moment ‘freak’ dust devil rips through UK sports club throwing chairs, tables and even elderly volunteers into the air

A “freak” dust devil tore through a children’s sports competition which left tables, chairs, and officials thrown around the track. The small whirlwind was caught on camera after striking the Central Park Athletics club in Dartford shortly before 10am on Saturday (August 1). An elderly official was hospitalised as a result of the vortex Credit: Cover Images The dust devil caught five elderly officials off guard Credit: Cover Images Hundreds of young athletes had been preparing to compete at the South East track when the dust devil, which resembled a miniature tornado, hit. Officials say the vortex appeared without warning on an otherwise calm day and caused damage to electronics worth thousands of pounds. Sign up for The Sun newsletter Thank you! The dust devil also left debris strewn across the track. Tony Durey, chairman of Central Park Athletics in Dartford, said he had never witnessed anything like it in more than 35 years in the sport. He said: “It was a day much like today. It was sunny, very warm and there was no wind, maybe just a slight breeze. “Then all of a sudden, out of nowhere, this tornado came from the car park right down the middle of the track.” Mr Durey went on to say the dust devil looked just as it does when depicted on television, with the chairman adding that, had children been on the track at the time, they would almost certainly have been lifted into the air. “It picked up all the dirt and debris and spiralled into that typical tornado shape,” he said. “You could actually see it travelling along the running track. Most read in The Sun “Thankfully there were no juniors running there at the time because the race had only just started. “I’m pretty sure if there had been a young child on the track, it probably would have picked them up and thrown them into the air. It literally picked up all the tables and chairs and threw them about 50 feet into the air.” The dust devil lasted 30 seconds and appeared out of nowhere Credit: Cover Images Damage to equipment worth thousands of pounds is believed to have been caused by the dust devil Credit: Cover Images Five elderly officials were caught off guard by the dust devil, with the tornado-like occurrence seeing them thrown “into the air,” according to Mr Durey. He said: “There were about five officials sitting there. It lifted them off their chairs and literally threw them into the air. A couple of them landed on top of each other.” One official was taken to hospital after suffering a chest injury as a result of the 90-second dust devil. Mr Durey called the vortex a “complete freak” moment that, according to fellow eyewitness Terry Skelton, got “bigger and bigger” the longer it lasted. Mr Skelton, chairman and coach of HY Athletics Club in Hastings, had travelled to Dartford with young competitors. What are dust devils? Dust devils are strong, well-formed, and relatively short-lived whirlwinds. They range in size from just half a metre wide and a few metres tall to more than 10 metres wide and half a mile high. Both dust devils and tornadoes are a weather phenomenon involving a vertical rotating column of wind, but they are not the same. Tornadoes form on the back of a supercell thunderstorm, while dust devils form as a swirling updraft under sunny conditions during fair weather. And while they rarely come close to the intensity of a tornado, but on can grow large enough to pose a threat to people and property. He said: “It really started off really small right on the start and finish line, and then got bigger and bigger. The tent went, then it lifted people up and threw them back down.” The dry conditions of the area created a huge cloud of dust as the whirlwind crossed the track. Mr Skelton added: “All the grass was brown and the dust was just horrendous. You couldn’t see a thing. It was scary, especially for the young kids.” Comment now