What’s A Waterspout?

Rare double waterspout formation spotted from Florida beach

Tropical Storm Cindy causes water spouts

A waterspout phenomenon was observed in Vizhinjam, Thiruvananthapuram on Wednesday. A waterspout is a rotating column of air that occurs over a body of water, usually appearing as a funnel-shaped cloud in contact with the water and a cumuliform cloud. During this phenomenon, a cloud sheet resembling lightning and a fountain descends into the sea from the dark clouds in the sky, causing the water to churn and form a vortex. Water rises in a funnel shape in several parts of the sea. The sudden pre