Have you woken up to damage from last night's 'mini tornado'?

Tree falling down, cars damaged, roof tiles, guttering missing and furniture flying across gardens are just some of the complaints shared by our readers.

Villagers in Rainford reported a "tremendous crashing" as the sudden high winds took hold in the village shortly before 5pm.

Ridge tiles were ripped from houses and cars and sheds were damaged during the brief storm.

Someone's roof scattered all over their garden

Tracey Marsh said: "I heard a sudden gust of wind it ripped the bathroom window wide open (it was open a little for ventilation) and practically destroyed the blinds to the same window.

"I wondered if someone had left a door open, because it sounded as if my front door was wide open.

"I went into the hallway to check and my door was closed. But the dogs were going crazy barking.

"It only lasted a minute or so, but it was a very strong and sudden gust of wind. I would not be surprised if it was something like a mini tornado...I’ve never heard anything like it."

Some of the damage on Folds Lane

A spokesman for the Met Office, which issued a warning about high winds in Merseyside, said: "We did see [on the radar] a line of very heavy rain and strong winds move across the whole Merseyside area between 4pm and 5pm. The gusts would have really picked up quickly and then died off again.

"To someone out in it may well have felt like they were experiencing a mini-tornado but that can't be said for sure.

"We would have seen gusts reaching above 50mph to 60mph with very heavy rain. It is what we call a squall.

Guttering and roof tiles are missing from this house after the gust of wind

"We can see the same line now moving across the country towards Yorkshire."

Karl Holden who owns A180 Darts, believes it must have been something like a mini-tornado as only a section of homes of Folds Lane has been affected.

He said: "It was mad, it lasted all of a minute in total before going back to normal bad weather but in that minute houses 200 foot to the left and to the right of me have been affected.

"One woman opposite has had more than 50 tiles ripped off her roof, but because the Met Office claim there was only 30mph winds they won't payout.

"For it not to affect other places, even on our street, and just affect a relatively small section, must mean it was something like a mini-tornado or something.

"It was crazy, by the time I got to my car it had all stopped."

Meanwhile, St Helens Council reported damage to street lights on Carr Mill Road, Billinge.

Large branches also came down on Scafell Road, Moss Bank.