Factoid/2002/02/23
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Waterspouts
- "Waterspouts are whirling funnels of air which hang down from the base of cumulus or cumulonimbus clouds. When the twisting air touches the sea below, it sucks up a column of water and spray. Waterspouts are most common in warm, tropical seas. They can be 980 ft (300m) wide and hundreds of yards (meters) high. A waterspout travels across the sea with its cloud. It rarely lasts for longer than 15 minutes. If the column of water is released suddenly, it can be devastating for ships and coastal areas." (Excerpt from the book, The Ocean Atlas, by Anita Ganeria, published by Dorling Kindersley, 1994, pg. 45)
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