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This is the shocking moment World Cup 2022 host Qatar was struck by a huge tornado, with black spiral-shaped clouds spinning across the desert country. The weather phenomenon touched down in Ras Laffan Industrial City, which is located around 50 miles north of the Qatari capital Doha. Qatar has also been battered by torrential rain for the first time since the global football tournament kicked off on November 20.
The sudden downpours have triggered massive floods on roads in Ras Laffan, which is a 30-minute drive from the 68,895 capacity Al Bayt Stadium in Al Khor – the most northern venues being used for the World Cup.
The country’s meteorological department shared the footage on Twitter, along with weather and safety warnings for the public.
It wrote: “Continuation of observing scattered rain becomes thundery at times inshore and offshore. Please be careful.”
A Twitter user also in Qatar also shared a picture of a someone holding a massive pile of hailstones which reportedly crashed into the country today.
Qatar has the lowest threat level from natural disasters of any country in the world, according to the World Risk Index, meaning tornados are extremely rare in the country.
The index, established by the United Nations University’s Institute for Environment and Human Security, calculates vulnerability to a range of natural hazards.
Qatar’s average temperature throughout the year is around 29C with highs in the summer months surging to a scorching 45C.
Temperatures rarely ever drop below 13C even at night during the coolest month of January, meaning a barrage of hail in the country is almost unheard of.
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The news comes with residents in southeastern Oklahoma and northeastern Texas in the US desperately trying to recover their homes and surrounding areas following a massive storm.
This stretched all the way from Dallas to northwest Arkansas spawned tornadoes and produced flash flooding.
At least two people have died, several others have been injured, with homes and buildings reduced to rubble.
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