Every child remembers being afraid to dip their toe in the ocean after the very first time they saw Jaws, but according to a new video, it’s not just what’s beneath the surface that you need to worry about.
For those of you not familiar with waterspouts, I’ve taken the following information from the National Ocean Service:
Waterspouts fall into two categories: fair weather waterspouts and tornadic waterspouts.
Tornadic waterspouts are tornadoes that form over water, or move from land to water. They have the same characteristics as a land tornado. They are associated with severe thunderstorms, and are often accompanied by high winds and seas, large hail, and frequent dangerous lightning.
Fair weather waterspouts usually form along the dark flat base of a line of developing cumulus clouds. This type of waterspout is generally not associated with thunderstorms. While tornadic waterspouts develop downward in a thunderstorm, a fair weather waterspout develops on the surface of the water and works its way upward. By the time the funnel is visible, a fair weather waterspout is near maturity. Fair weather waterspouts form in light wind conditions so they normally move very little.
If a waterspout moves onshore, the National Weather Service issues a tornado warning, as some of them can cause significant damage and injuries to people. Typically, fair weather waterspouts dissipate rapidly when they make landfall, and rarely penetrate far inland.
Watch the video below:
I think I’m just gonna mix up a home-made pina colada and sit out on my porch in my bikini and sunglasses, with a radio in the corner playing sounds you’d hear at the beach. It’s cheaper, and I don’t have a higher chance of getting attacked by nature!