A video circulating on social media depicting a weather phenomenon off the Cape St Francis coast – that some people called a tornado – has been confirmed as a waterspout.

Caxton Local Media contacted South African Weather Service Eastern Cape regional head Hugh van Niekerk, who said the waterspout formed near the coast of the village, which is situated on a headland.

Van Niekerk says while this particular waterspout has ‘dissipated’ (meaning it has dispersed or broken up), they are anticipating that there are others out to sea along the coast.

As Van Niekerk was only shown the video, he was unable to confirm the distance from shore, but added that ‘it does not seem that far off from the coast’.

He explains that the dynamics of a waterspout are ‘very similar’ to those of a tornado – ‘basically, strong updraughts of rotating winds’. “They are normally a lot weaker, but it doesn’t take a lot to get a spiral effect out on sea due to a lack of friction.”

He explains that waterspouts form a lot more easily than land tornadoes.

Van Niekerk says he doubts that residents should be worried. “These particular systems are moving along the coast, and they aren’t really strong enough to cause significant damage. For small vessels out to sea, they could cause a bit of a problem, but it should be short-lived as it passes over.”

He adds that if a waterspout moves over to land itself, it could cause ‘some very minor damage’, but nothing as significant as a tornado.

Forecaster Markus Geldenhuys confirms that the synoptic weather conditions are expected to remain the same, hence the possibility for waterspouts forming at sea remains.

“This is a severe weather phenomenon that doesn’t form that frequently, so it is a low likelihood. We have a yellow level 3 warning out for damaging winds with a possibility of waterspouts. [The warning] is from now until tomorrow at 07:00.”

He states the warning is in place from the Storms River/Plettenberg Bay area, upward until Hamburg.

Geldenhuys says there is no reason for concern that a tornado will form in the area. “Waterspouts are typically over the ocean. They very infrequently move onto shore and land. These events are short-lived – a typical waterspout lives between five and 10 minutes, meaning by the time it reaches land, it has already petered out, and very quickly loses its energy once it reaches land.”

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