Beachgoers at Sentosa get surprise
sighting of a waterspout
13 August 2006 1939 hrs (SST) 1139 hrs (GMT)
A waterspout - commonly known as tornadoes over the sea - has been
spotted off the coast of Sentosa, spooking many who were spending a
lazy Sunday on the beach.
Our reporter spoke to many eyewitnesses on the great storm that
came and went in the blink of an eye.
Sunny clear skies turned dark and stormy in less than 3 minutes at
around noon on Sunday off Siloso Beach, according to
eyewitnesses.
"It was very sunny, then we walked to the café here to have lunch,
then the clouds start to form very dark and I saw something very
black that form from the sky and it drops all the way down to the
sea and after that it starts spinning and when it spin, it gets
very big. I've never seen that before," said one eyewitness.
"What we thought was a small typhoon started forming, and once it
was formed, everybody was moving towards it and the swimmers were
running out of the water because the current was pulling them
along. Water was being sucked up like a vacuum from the typhoon,"
said another.
Instead of seeking shelter, tourists and locals ran to the
beachfront and started to take pictures.
The water spout lasted less than 5 minutes.
It also rained for a little while then it was calm again.
The National Environment Agency said intense thunderstorms were the
cause of the phenomenon.
Waterspouts are similar to tornadoes - both are formed by air
rushing into an area of low pressure, such as when cold air rushes
into an area of warm air.
As the air converges, strong convection currents are formed and a
funnel starts to form at the surface of the sea and extends
vertically.
The water column in a waterspout is not drawn up from the sea but
is caused by the condensation of water vapour around the
low-pressure centre.
The average diameter of a waterspout is 50 metres and it has
average wind speeds of up to 150 kilometres per hour.
Despite its appearance, water spouts in general are not
dangerous.
This is because it dissipates as it grows closer to the shore as
moisture is being cut off.
But while it is safe for people on shore, waterspouts can cause
considerable damage to small boats. - CNA/ch
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/224647/1/.html
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vIjzgU8Tf7Y
