05/23/2026
We continue to work on the analysis of the damage from the 'bow echo' storm that hit the London area on May 19. This type of storm can produce both intense straight-line (downburst) winds as well as tornadoes along the leading edge of the storm. And both happened in the London area. It's challenging to survey and assess damage when there is a mix of wind types. But full details out soon!
In the meantime, we have analyzed four photos that were said to depict tornadoes in the London area with this storm. Two were obvious AI-generated fakes. But two were said to be from certain parts of the city and their authenticity wasn't clear.
From the photos, we were able to track down the location the photo was taken and the direction of the photo, and then map out the view shown.
In the case of the photo taken from a car on Gainsborough Road, the depicted tornado would have been in the vicinity of London Intl Airport (see first image). However, the damage in east London was south of there. And the official weather observers at the airport did not see or report any tornado or funnel cloud (we checked). Also, meteorologically, tornadoes don't tend to form in the part of the storm depicted. We conclude, based on the evidence, that the tornado was added to a real photo.
In the case of the photo taken from a balcony in the Sunningdale area, the depicted tornado would have been north of the city towards Arva (see second image). Again, there was no damage reported or found there, and radar shows no rotation in that area. We conclude, based on the evidence, that the tornado was again added to a real photo.
Folks, AI-generated photos and photos from past storms depicting tornadoes are now often being shared during storms events. Why people do this is hard to fathom. It's also likely illegal (see third item attached).
If you are sent a photo of a tornado during or after a storm situation that is not from a trusted source, please think twice before sharing it. Increasingly, that photo will likely have been manipulated.
Thanks!
