Waterspout
From Freepedia
A waterspout is a tornado that occurs over water, usually not in association with a supercell thunderstorm, however it is important to note that by definition waterspouts become tornadoes if they move over ground, and likewise tornadoes become waterspouts if they move from land to water. Waterspouts are not counted in official tornado records unless they move over land.
They are usually smaller and weaker than the most intense Great Plains tornadoes and often spawned from cold core funnel clouds, but waterspouts can still overturn small boats, damage ships, do significant damage when hitting land and kill people.
Waterspouts are usually quite dangerous, posing threats to ships, planes, and swimmers. It is recommended to keep a considerable distance from either of these phenomena, and to always be on alert through weather reports. The US National Weather Service will often issue special marine warnings when waterspouts are likely or have been sighted over coastal waters, or tornado warnings when waterspouts can move onshore.
Though they mostly occur in the tropics, they can seasonally appear in temperate areas, including the UK. They are more frequent within 100 kilometers (62 miles) from the coast than out in the open sea. Waterspouts are common along the southeast U.S. coast, especially off southern Florida and the Keys and can happen over seas, bays and lakes worldwide.
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External links
- A series of pictures from a boat getting impressively close to a waterspout.
