A waterspout swirled over Lake Michigan in Indiana. The recording shows how the vortex changed its shape and separated. At times he resembled spread fingers.
A swirling waterspout appeared on one of the Great Lakes of North America, Michigan, on Monday. It was perfectly visible from Duneland Beach, Indiana. The phenomenon was impressive – the vortex split into smaller ones and changed, at one point taking the shape of spread fingers.
They last up to 20 minutes
The phenomenon is not uncommon in the Great Lakes region. As explained by the US National Weather Service (NWS), waterspouts occur in northern Michigan in August, September and October, when the waters of the Great Lakes are the warmest. They usually last from two to twenty minutes.
A waterspout is a phenomenon similar to airspouts, but usually weaker and less persistent. It is formed when much cooler air moves over a relatively warm body of water. Then a vertical funnel-shaped vortex is formed above the water surface. The phenomenon usually does not reach land and does not cause any damage.
Reuters, tvnmeteo.pl, weather.gov
Main photo source: Reuters/Michiana Shores Beach Glass