Waterspout facts for kids

A waterspout is like a funnel cloud that forms over water. You can think of it as a type of tornado that happens over lakes or oceans. But here's a cool fact: waterspouts do not suck up water from the sea! The misty column you see is actually made of tiny water droplets, just like a cloud, formed by condensation. Waterspouts are usually not as strong as most tornadoes that form over land.

Different Kinds of Waterspouts

There are a few different types of waterspouts. The most common ones are called "fair-weather waterspouts."

Fair-Weather Waterspouts

Fair-weather waterspouts are the most common type you'll see. They are not linked to strong, rotating thunderstorms called "supercells." Instead, they usually form in coastal waters. These waterspouts are connected to dark, flat-bottomed cumulus clouds that are still growing. They often appear when the air near the water is warm and moist, and the air above is cooler.

Snowspouts: Waterspouts in Winter

A winter waterspout, also known as a snowspout or snow devil, is a very rare weather event. It's like a waterspout, but it forms during snowy conditions. Not much is known about these rare events, and only a few pictures of them exist.

For a winter waterspout to form, three main things need to happen:

• Very Cold Air Over Warm Water: The air must be super cold, usually around -18 °C (0 °F) or colder. This cold air needs to be over a body of water that is warmer, but not too warm (around 5 °C or 41 °F). This difference in temperature creates a fog that looks like steam rising from the water.
• Lake-Effect Snow: There needs to be snow falling, often in narrow bands, like the "lake-effect snow" you see near large lakes.
• Slow Winds: The wind speed must be very slow, usually less than 9.25 km/h (5.75 mph).

Related Weather Events

• Funnel cloud
• Tornado

Images for kids

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  Waterspout filmed off Anglesey, Wales, on 15 November 2010 by an RAF Search and Rescue crew

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  Tornadic waterspout on 15 July 2005 off the coast of Punta Gorda, Florida, caused by a severe thunderstorm.

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  A large winter waterspout over Lake Ontario, just off the shore of Whitby, Ontario on 26 January 1994.

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  A family of four waterspouts seen on the Great Lakes (Lake Huron) on 9 September 1999.

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  Illustration from the book The Philosophy of Storms, published in 1841

See also

In Spanish: Manga de agua para niños