Watch: Waterspout witnessed in Visakhapatnam, leaves locals amused

A waterspout occurred off the Visakhapatnam coast, at the Fishing Harbour on 13 September. According to the locals, this phenomenon was observed at 2 PM and gradually disappeared after a few minutes. 

The visitors to the beach and those at the Fishing Harbour captured the videos of the waterspout on their mobile phones and shared them across social media. 

Watch the waterspout occurred off the Visakhapatnam coast:

In a conversation with Yo!, an official at the Cyclone Warning Centre, Vizag, shared, “What occurred off the Visakhapatnam coast is a waterspout. It is formed when Cumulonimbus clouds descend downward, due to pressure gradient. It further sucks up water and objects (fish) and the waterspout travels for some distance before falling to the ground. That is the reason why we sometimes observe fish falling during rains. Usually, the waterspouts may go unnoticed at deep-sea but when they happen on the coast, they get noticed by people on the shore.”

Quoting that it is quite rare to witness this phenomenon on the Andhra Pradesh coast, the spokesperson at the CWC, Vizag, mentioned that a waterspout was reported off Kakinada coast early this July. He further said that the waterspout observed in Vizag is smaller in size (spreads in a few metres diametre). “Though it is similar to a tornado, the waterspout can be considered as a ‘short scale phenomenon’, forming over the water surface. It can not travel much distance on the sea,” the official at the CWC Vizag added. However, he informed that the fisherfolk should not attempt to venture close to the waterspout as the surroundings of the sea do not support for smooth sailing. It is advisable for them to escape from it soon after it is noticed, he said.