A waterspout was spotted off the coast of KwaZulu-Natal on 9 April. This natural phenomena can occur in two forms: fair weather waterspouts and tornadic waterspouts.
A fair weather waterspout forms along the dark flat base of a line of developing cumulus cloud. It is not necessarily a result of, or associated with, a thunderstorm.
These waterspouts can form in light winds and do not usually move all that much. When a fair weather waterspout develops on the surface of water it begins to form a funnel upward from the surface. When the funnel becomes visible this is indicative of the waterspout’s maturity.
Tornadic waterspouts are essentially tornadoes that occur over water.
These can also move from land to water in some instances and have the same characteristics as a land tornado. Severe thunderstorms, high winds sea conditions as well as hailstorms and lightning are all associated with these waterspouts.
Watch below to see the waterspout in action:
Image source: Facebook, Storm Report SA
