Aussie fishermen spot incredible rare phenomenon near tourist hotspot
While the waterspouts are rarely seen, they can also be dangerous – with experts advising boaters to stay away.
A fisherman has captured the spectacular moment two huge waterspouts formed in front of him as he set off on a fishing trip in the Whitsundays.
Murray Story, owner and operator of boat charter company Catch My Drift Charters, told Yahoo News Australia he’d never seen anything like it before as the massive twin columns appeared near Hayman Island.
“We were just south of Hayman Island, near Stonehaven anchorage to the est of Hook Island,” Mr Story said, adding he was “absolutely blown away, could not believe what we were seeing!”
Mr Story said they were just heading out on a fishing trip at about 6.30 on Thursday morning when they spotted the rare phenomenon. Closer images show the unbelievable formations connecting the sea and sky, looming over the ocean.
Mr Stone said the incredible sight lasted about 10 to 15 minutes.
Less than 10 waterspouts reported each year
Weatherzone meteorologist James Rout told Yahoo only five to 10 waterspouts are reported each year – though there may be many formations that go unseen.
“The most common places [for sightings] are along south east Queensland and along the coast of NSW. They have occurred in other states in Australia, but it’s very rare for places other than the Queensland coast and NSW coast," he said.
“For a waterspout to form, it’s called a ‘shear line’ where winds of different directions collide. That causes the atmosphere to spin and then if you get some showers or storms coming over it can lift that spinning column and that’s when you get that vertical column of spinning air," he explained.
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Mr Rout advised that boaters should steer clear of waterspouts. “If you see one, it’s best not to approach it, just stay away from it.”
Waterspouts are related to dust devils – whirlwinds of air that are similar in appearance to waterspouts but usually stir up a column of dust or dirt over land. Like waterspouts, dust devils are also short-lived.
Waterspouts can also be similar to tornadoes, and can cause damage if they cross on to land – like the Lennox Head tornado that struck in 2010 and destroyed a dozen homes.
“Waterspouts are in some ways like the tornadoes that form over land. But where tornadoes are associated with huge supercell thunderstorms, waterspouts can form during smaller storms or even just showers or the presence of the right kind of clouds,” a Bureau of Meteorology spokesperson said.
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