Boaters off the coast of Spain got quite the surreal sight Friday that may need looked more like something from the mind of a Hollywood disaster flick director than Mother Nature: 4 waterspouts spinning together in nearly the identical spot.
Anton Adanero Guinea was boating off the eastern side of the island of Majorca when the waterspouts formed amid somewhat stormy weather within the region.
Waterspouts are, generally speaking, often called simply tornadoes that form over water, but there are two varieties of waterspouts — yet another dangerous than the opposite.
“Tornadic” waterspouts form from severe thunderstorms identical to their tornado cousins. They will accompany strong winds, locally high seas, frequent lightning, and enormous hail, and thus may be dangerous to mariners suddenly caught of their path.
Then there are “fair weather” waterspouts, which form only over open water.
“They develop on the surface of the water and climb skyward related to warm water temperatures and high humidity in the bottom several thousand feet of the atmosphere,” said Meteorologist Bruce B. Smith with the National Weather Service office in Gaylord, Michigan. “They are often small, relatively temporary, and fewer dangerous.”
Despite the storms in that area of Spain, these look like the fair-weather version of waterspouts.
“Fair weather” or not, the National Weather Service recommends any boaters who spot a waterspout move at a 90-degree angle away from the waterspout’s path.
