Giant waterspout churns up UK coast for 30 minutes

According to the BBC, this tornado-like weather phenomenon churned up the sea between Thorpeness and Aldeburgh in England. Jackie Butler, a local resident, saw the whirlpool while walking her dog at Sizewell beach on the evening of July 30. Photo: Michellef.

"Suddenly, we saw a column of water appear on the surface of the sea. It sucked water in for 30 minutes and then stopped. As we stood watching, it rose again," Butler recalled. Photo: Steve Taylor.

According to meteorologist Dan Holley, a waterspout is a tornado that occurs over water. "Both start as a funnel cloud, a column of air beneath a shower or thunderstorm. As it reaches the ground, it becomes a tornado if it touches the ground or a waterspout if it touches water," Holley said. Photo: Reinhard Olbrich.

When southwesterly winds blowing from the land meet easterly winds blowing from the North Sea, the air moves upward, creating showers and sometimes funnel clouds, Holley said. Photo: Reinhard Olbrich.

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