A rare weather phenomenon has been captured on video in a popular south east London park during the recent heatwave.
Described as a “mini tornado,” the swirling dust funnel appeared in Greenwich Park on Sunday, August 9, and was later reported to be a "dust devil".
A dust devil is a small, rotating column of air that picks up dust, sand and other debris from the ground.
They usually form on hot, sunny days when the ground heats the air above it. The warm air rises quickly, and if there are certain wind conditions, it can start spinning, creating a miniature whirlwind.
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Multiple videos shared on TikTok show the cone-shaped vortex quickly forming and twisting across the sun-baked parkland, forcing visitors to scatter as it kicked up clouds of dust and debris.
@thetheosphere Tornado in Greenwich park #greenwich #tornado #fyp #news #london ♬ original sound - Theo
The unusual scene unfolded during a weekend of high temperatures and dry conditions, part of what is shaping up to be the fifth heatwave of the summer in parts of London.
One of the videos, shared by user @miinamc, shows sunbathers in the Royal Park leaping to their feet and fleeing as the rapidly moving dust cloud envelops them.
Another video, posted by @thetheosphere, drew comments comparing the weather to the Mediterranean and referencing iconic films, with one viewer writing: "toto, we’re not in greenwich anymore."
The phenomenon was likely a direct result of weeks of hot and dry weather.
Dust devils typically form on clear, warm days when a pocket of hot air near the ground rises quickly through cooler air above, creating a spinning column of wind.
The dry spell has left Greenwich Park parched and dusty, with grass turning from green to beige.
@miinamc Sunday scaries (a man got fully taken out by the dust tornado moments before this was recorded) #london #globalwarming #tornado #sundayscaries #greenwich ♬ original sound - Shan Da baddest
High temperatures are expected to continue, with forecasters warning that parts of the UK could see highs of 36C or above later in the week.
The Met Office has not ruled out issuing rare amber or red extreme heat warnings if conditions worsen.
A spokesman said: "We sometimes issue extreme heat warnings, amber and red warnings, which we did back in June, so that’s under consideration at the moment."
The persistent heat has already had serious impacts nationwide.
According to the Environment Agency, more than 25 million people in the UK are currently facing water use restrictions, with hosepipe bans in effect for all South East Water and Thames Water customers.
This summer, the UK has experienced two record-breaking heatwaves in May and June, which contributed to more than 2,800 excess deaths.
July brought two more heatwaves and was recorded as the driest July in England and Wales since records began in 1836, leading to drought conditions and wildfires.
The heatwave is part of a broader trend of rising temperatures across western Europe.
The European Union’s earth observation programme, Copernicus, reported that average temperatures across the region reached 21.61C for June and July, surpassing the previous record set in 2022.
Globally, this year is the third hottest on record, behind only 2024 and 2025.
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