MAYFIELD, KY - DECEMBER 11: General view of tornado damaged businesses on December 11, 2021 in Mayfield, Kentucky. Multiple tornadoes tore through parts of the lower Midwest late on Friday night, leaving a large path of destruction. Brett Carlsen/Getty Images/AFP (Photo by Brett Carlsen / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP)
Tornadoes are not as uncommon in South Africa as some people might believe, with more sightings of the weather phenomena and frequent warnings of severe storms than ever.
Two funnel clouds were spotted in Ekurhuleni in Gauteng and Emalahleni in Mpumalanga on Sunday.
Vox Weather meteorologist Annette Botha said these were characterised as a funnel clouds because no damage or proof of touchdown was reported.
“A funnel cloud does not reach the earth’s surface. At the point it reaches land, it becomes a tornado, or if it reaches a body of water, it becomes a waterspout.”
Botha – who warned funnel clouds were dangerous and commonly a severe thunderstorm – said the number of tornadoes was likely to increase as thunderstorms grow more severe
“A funnel cloud can become a full-fledged tornado in seconds. But even if it remains a funnel and never makes a touchdown, these severe storms are usually associated with hail, gusting winds and heavy downpours.
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“Tornadoes are not uncommon in South Africa; the truth is that they have always occurred in the country. Tornadoes and funnel clouds are also spotted more frequently because people now have cellphones to record such incidents and share them.”
Local storm chaser Cobus van Zyl said he was ready for a tornado.
“It’s the holy grail of storm chasing,” he said.
Weather forecaster Ismael Mayo said funnel clouds or tornadoes cannot be forecast.
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