Tornados with A Twist: Waterspouts
Imagine five tornados all close to each other. Now, picture that these tornadoes are made of water. These crazy tornado look-alikes are waterspouts! Waterspouts are like a mix of a tornado and a hurricane, they are made of water but are in a cylindrical or cone shape. They appear over oceans, lakes, and other large bodies of water.
Waterspout formation can be broken down into five steps. When warm water combines with winds coming from the East and Northeast, cumulus clouds are formed. These clouds are very puffy, but they have flat bases. As the warm air reaches the surface of the water, the winds will combine with it and a column of air will start forming. Additionally, a dark spot will form on the surface of the body of water, and a column of water and wind will develop on top of it. Next, there will always be spirals of different shades on top of this dark hole. When winds higher up reach around 55 miles per hour (mph), sea spray (particles in the ocean that splash and spray everywhere) is often produced. Just like hurricanes, waterspouts often have an eye shape in the center. At the highest point, a waterspout will become a mature vortex where the waterspout is fully formed from the clouds to the water. It will look similar to a tornado made out of water. In the end, the waterspout will weaken due to warm air entering it causing its collapse.
One of the most common places for waterspouts is Florida Keys. However, other locations include Greece and Australia. Truly, any coastal area is susceptible to them, but tropical and subtropical waters are often most affected. This includes the majority of the Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian oceans.
Two different types of waterspouts are tornadic waterspouts and “fair-weather” waterspouts. While tornadic waterspouts often occur with heavy thunderstorms, “fair-weather” waterspouts can appear even in calm water with light winds. Just as their names suggest, “fair-weather” waterspouts occur in “fair-weather”. These lighter waterspouts tend to have less of an effect and are over in less than 30 minutes. On the other hand, tornadic waterspouts are highly destructive onshore and can last for much longer periods of time. Interestingly, tornadic waterspouts are actually tornados that are able to turn into waterspouts after combining with water from the ocean.
A key fact about waterspouts is that while they often do not reach land, in rare cases, they do. In case you are near a waterspout, it is very important to stay alert and go to safety. Safety measures often vary based on region, but generally, there are safety procedures that you should follow. Discuss this matter with your parents and make a plan ahead of time. You should keep an eye out for incoming disaster warnings when you check the weather. On windy and rainy days, it is a good idea to look for signals that a waterspout may be near. The NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) says to look out for “cumulus clouds with dark, flat bases, thunderstorms, and dark spots on a body of water.” If you find yourself in the storm, you should never approach it. Instead, work to move away from it at a 90-degree angle. If possible, you can also wait it out from a safe distance, but try to get down in case objects fly towards you. Flying objects are very common in severe waterspouts because these storms can often turn into tornadoes. If you live close to the coast, remember to talk to your parents about proper safety measures! In fact, even if you live far from the ocean, you should still talk to your guardian about waterspouts and about safety for any other types of disasters like fires, hurricanes, twisters, earthquakes, and tornadoes.
Water Spouts
Picture Source: orlandosentinel.com
