Probably the most magical place on Earth was not immune from Mother Nature Thursday as strong thunderstorms moved through Central Florida, creating gusty winds, heavy rainfall and an apparent funnel cloud.
Guests at Epcot captured the stunning sights on video as many sought cover until the inclement weather passed.
“We were attending Epcot to go to one in every of their concert events. We’ve been local residents for over 16 years, and we had never seen anything like that on this area,” Disney streamers Adam and Kristen said.
The low-hanging clouds rolled into areas southwest of Orlando around 6:20 p.m.
The National Weather Service warned of the potential for transient funnel clouds within the storm because it lingered over the Orlando metro area.
“All these funnel clouds are harmless, but on rare occasions, they will briefly touch down, producing wind gusts over 50 mph,” the NWS said.
For the reason that funnel cloud never touched the bottom, it didn’t gain the designation of a tornado.
The FOX Forecast Center said doppler radar showed a small inflow notch, which is a possible sign of rotation within the clouds.
The apparent funnel didn’t cause any damage to the parks or nearby resorts but did create quite a commotion.
No other region of the country sees more thunderstorms than Florida. Central Florida averages over 80 days with thunder and lightning, in keeping with the Florida Climate Center.
Meteorologists remind everyone in the event that they spot a funnel cloud to maneuver indoors and report the weather sighting to the NWS.