Whirlwind action in Richards Bay
A rare sight of a water spout drew plenty of attention at Alkantstrand
THE rare sight of a water spout over the ocean drew plenty of attention at Alkantstrand on Monday.
A huge twisting column of spray stretched from dark overhead clouds to the sea a few kilometres offshore. This as a large cold front had appeared that put an end to a week of balmy winter weather. Basically, water spouts are tornadoes that form over water.
They are often attended by strong winds, heavy seas, hail and lightning.
The ‘spout’ is explained as a spray ring that develops along a vertical wind path, developing into the visible condensation funnel.
Scientists say the content is not sea water moving upward, but rather water droplets from the cloud above.
However, while they generally travel at about 80km/hour, water spouts have been known to move at far greater speeds, causing a whirlwind that can even lift fish and seaweed from the ocean and deposit them many kilometres away.
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