Rare multiple waterspouts form over Laguna de Bay, Philippines

Multiple tornadic waterspouts were spotted over Laguna de Bay, Philippines, at around 10:30 UTC (18:30 LT) on Saturday, May 30, 2020. Such an occurrence is considered rare in the country, according to PAGASA weather specialist Ariel Rojas.

Residents in Laguna took to social media to share photos and videos of the phenomenon, which could also be seen in parts of nearby Rizal province.

According to resident Jed Arroyo, rain fell after he took a video of the event.

A waterspout is a column of rotating wind, which descended from a cumulus cloud to a lake or an ocean.

Rojas said waterspouts usually form over tropical waters in areas near the equator, such as the Philippines, but it is still considered a rare event in the country.

"Warm air rises into the sky and when it continues to bring moisture to the sky, clouds will be formed. When the warm air continues to climb, the clouds become larger to form thunderstorm clouds," he explained.

"As the warm air carrying moisture enters into the thunderstorm cloud, a sudden change in the direction and speed of wind occurs in rotating motion forming a vortex."

Featured image credit: Jo Anne