Violent winds and hail cause damage to houses and tear up trees in Utrecht, Netherlands

Violent and sudden wind and hailstones have broken windows, flattened garden fences and uprooted trees in the town of Leersum in Utrecht.

In video shared on Instagram, the violent weather can be seen hitting the area as it damages furniture in a local garden.

The powerful gust, which reportedly lasted about a minute, was described by some locals as being similar to a tornado.

It was reported that at least eight people were injured in the storm.

In a statement, Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs MEC Sipho Hlomuka confirmed a tornado struck in the area of Utrecht on Friday night