ABU DHABI (ALETIHAD)
The National Center of Meteorology (NCM) on Thursday clarified that a weather phenomenon that occurred in the Khedira area of Ras Al Khaimah on Wednesday was not a tornado but a landspout. Social media platforms were abuzz with videos and comments following the incident.
“The landspout that formed yesterday in the Khedira area of Ras Al Khaimah attracted a lot of attention, especially with videos and photos being circulated, which might have made it seem like a tornado.
However, a landspout is different from a tornado and is not classified as a dangerous weather phenomenon,” the NCM said in a statement made available to Aletihad.
“A tornado usually forms due to a rotating upward current inside a thunderstorm, while a landspout forms when the thunderstorm is in its developing stage, with two different air masses meeting, each with distinct physical properties, and the presence of vertical rotation near the ground. As a result, the landspout is weak and lasts for a short period. Sometimes, it is accompanied by strong winds that lift dust and sand into the air,” the NMC said.
The landspout is similar to a waterspout, as both form from the ground or water up to the cloud, the weather department said, noting that it is difficult to detect landspouts and waterspouts with radar as they are low, small in size, and weak in intensity.
The NCM usually relies on public reports to record their occurrence, the centre added.