A BIG clean-up operation continued today after the devastation caused by a terrifying mini-tornado as Britain's weather went crazy.

Twenty people were injured when the freak twister ripped through south Birmingham yesterday.

It stripped roofs off houses, uprooted hundreds of trees and knocked down walls.

The winds also lifted cars and turned street signs and masonry into missiles when the tornado hit the city at about 2.45pm.

And torrential rain lashed Huddersfield - just days after the town baked in a heatwave.

Weather expert Paul Stevens, of Salendine Nook, said 40mm (just over 1½in) of rain fell between 10am and 7pm - three-quarters of the average monthly rainfall for July.

And it was also the coldest July day since 1988, reaching only 12.9ºC (55°F).

This morning, fog was the problem, with police warning drivers about poor visibility on the M62 in the Huddersfield area.

Yesterday's tornado swept through the Sparkbrook, Balsall Heath, Moseley and Kings Heath areas of Birmingham.

Ambulance crews treated 20 people - including three with serious injuries - and the fire brigade declared a "major incident".

Firefighters deployed 15 appliances in a one square-kilometre area where hundreds of buildings were damaged, many losing their entire roofs.

Parts of Sparkbrook were left with fruit, glass, masonry, tyres and furniture littering the streets.

It was only two weeks ago that Huddersfield baked in scorching temperatures of over 28°C (82°F), the warmest spell of July weather since 1990.

Meteorologist Mr Stevens said: "Up until yesterday we had recorded less than half the normal rainfall for the month, the third consecutive drought month in a row.

"Then yesterday, from 7am up to 10pm, there was a dramatic change with torrents of rain.

July will now statistically be a `wet month' ", he added.

"If this wasn't enough, it was the coolest July day since 1988, with the temperature reaching just 12.9°C.

"The tornado striking Birmingham and flooding affecting parts of Wales all in a day are all part of the mounting evidence that climate change is here and affecting us all, including Huddersfield," said Mr Stevens.

"We would expect the weather extremes to become more frequent."

But there is better news. Sunday and early next week will bring more settled weather and sunshine.