London ? A tornado Thursday ripped off a section of a wall of a northwest London house, damaged several nearby homes and injured at least six people, authorities said.

A man was taken to a hospital with a head injury, and five other adults were treated at the scene for minor injuries and shock, London Ambulance Service said.

London Fire Brigade reported that about 100 properties were affected in a quarter-square-mile area.

The freak storm hit just after 11 a.m. on a day of unsettled weather, as high winds, bursts of rain and occasional hail and thunder swept across southern England.