Sydney Harbour waterspout

A spectacular waterspout that locals said started in Spring Cove inside North Head, Sydney Harbour, on Monday was captured by amateur photographers as it moved across the harbour, narrowly avoiding a Manly Ferry before it made landfall at Fairlight Beach.

A small boat was reportedly flipped over, houses in the area had trees and hedges uprooted and outdoor furniture was thrown over the fence, including a substantial barbecue. Windows were broken, too.

The Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) says the subsequent storm damage inflicted on a shopping centre at Hornsby, where several people were injured, may well have emanated from the harbour waterspout. 

Of course, seasoned boaters and those who live on the coast are all too familiar with waterspouts. Late spring and summer are the season for them, when thunderstorms are rife as has been the case.

According to BOM, a waterspout looks like a slender tornado but occurs only over water. They are occasionally seen near the coast in the late summer and autumn, too.

Cool, unstable air masses passing over the warmer waters allow vigorous updraughts to form, which can tighten up into a spinning column. The cool, moist air usually supports a full condensation funnel.

Waterspouts can be dangerous for boaters and shoreline locations, the BOM warns, but are no threat farther inland since they collapse soon after they move onshore. It is possible, however, the waterspout reformed into a tornado at Hornsby on Monday. Investigations are underway.

In any case, you can read up all about tornadoes and other funnels in the BOM’s Storm Spotters’ Handbook at www.bom.gov.au/storm_spotters/handbook/tornadoes_and_other_funnels.shtml

Photo by Robyn Missen. See the video of the harbour waterspout.