MIRI: A waterspout was sighted at about 8am yesterday just off the coast at Marina Bay here.
It caused a lot of excitement among locals, many of whom either rushed towards the sea to get nearer or just stopped whatever they were doing to gawk at the sight.
Several images and videos of the waterspout were captured by members of the public who quickly spread them on the social media.
The waterspout lasted for about 15 minutes. After it disappeared into the open sea, rain began to fall.
A waterspout is a column of water that spins at high speed. It is formed by a whirlwind occurring over the sea or other body of water.
When waterspouts turn tornadic and move from land to water, they have the same characteristics as a land tornado and some of them can cause significant damage and injuries to people.
The water inside a waterspout is formed by condensation in the cloud. There are two types of waterspouts ̶ tornadic and fair-weather waterspouts.
It is possible that they could suck up a school of fish or frogs and “rain” them elsewhere. Many scientists believe tornadic waterspouts may be responsible for frog and fish rainfalls.
A video clip courtesy of a public member (below).
