Video posted on social media captured what was described as a “mini tornado hitting Luton”.
The footage filmed near Dunstable Road on Sunday afternoon showed what appeared to be debris caught up in strong, rotating winds.
BBC East senior weather presenter Gillian Brown said: “This weak tornado swept across Luton yesterday. It was associated with the thunderstorms moving across southern Britain.
“They usually form during thunderstorms when warm air rises through colder air.
“With the right wind conditions, the air starts to spin, and if the swirling air touches down on the ground, that forms a tornado.”
