Several Waterspouts Spotted in Florida Keys on Tuesday

8 May 2018, 2:23 pm

A string of waterspouts were spotted offshore from the Florida Keys on Tuesday morning, though none of the spouts caused damage or moved onto land.

At least seven waterspouts were reported from United States Coast Guard and National Weather Service officials at several different points on the Keys. Here’s a look at some of those spouts:

In the last 90 minutes, marine weather spotters reported two waterspouts adjacent to the #flkeys. One north of Plantation Key, the other NE of Cottrell Key (pictured below courtesy of @FloridaKeysNMS Captain) . Conditions remain favorable for waterspouts this AM. #KeyWest pic.twitter.com/UYPSqMQHs7

— NWS Key West (@NWSKeyWest) May 8, 2018

Waterspout as seen earlier today (5/8/18) at around 11:15 am EDT about 3-5 miles northwest of #KeyWest. Pic submitted by Crystal Bangs. Conditions will remain favorable for waterspout formation on nearshore waters adjacent to the #FLKeys into at least the early afternoon. #FLwx pic.twitter.com/8kKZ8do1WK

— NWS Key West (@NWSKeyWest) May 8, 2018

These short-lived (they lasted 10 minutes or less, according to observers) twisters are considered to be fair weather waterspouts, meaning they form through a different process compared to traditional supercell thunderstorms, such as the ones that produce powerful, destructive tornadoes on land.

In short, these waterspouts are caused by low-level converging winds. These waterspouts tend to be weaker than the average tornado, but they can still be destructive.

For more on fair weather waterspouts, check this article out – and it’s regarding waterspouts from the same area where they were noted on Tuesday morning.

Stay with WeatherNation for the latest on this.

For WeatherNation: Meteorologist Chris Bianchi