Unusually large waterspout recorded off Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago

An unusually large waterspout formed in the Gulf of Paria, off Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago at around 14:50 LT on Friday, December 19, 2020.

The waterspout remained out to the sea, as the thunderstorm it was attached to moved westward toward Venezuela.

No damage or casualties have been reported.

It's hard to say how frequently Trinidad and Tobago experiences waterspouts, as there really has been no good (or at least public) record-keeping of tornado or waterspout events across the country, the Trinidad and Tobago Weather Center said.

However, 'the December 2020 Gulf of Paria event is just one of many we’ve noticed in the last few years, likely due to an increase in persons with cameras near the coast.'

"We’re trying to build a database of these events, by scouring media reports dating back to the early 1900s to come up with how frequently these events occur and where have they occurred in the past.

"Tornadoes and waterspouts across Trinidad and Tobago remain a very uncommon feature, but due to a lack of technology to issue and disseminate timely warnings to the public, it is imperative you know what to do in the event one occurs."

The last recorded waterspout event was just a month ago in the Gulf of Paria, on November 18, 2020.

Featured image credit: Trinidad and Tobago Weather Center