A waterspout is a small, whirling storm over ocean or inland waters. Its chief characteristic is a tall, funnel-shaped cloud; when fully developed it is usually attached to the base of a cumulus cloud. See Figure below. The water in a waterspout ismostly confined to its lower portion, andmay be either

The air in waterspouts may rotate clockwise or counterclockwise, depending on the manner of formation. They are found most frequently in tropical regions, but are not uncommon in higher latitudes.

There are two types of waterspouts: those derived from violent convective storms over land moving seaward, called tornadoes, and those formed over the sea and which are associated with fair or foul weather. The latter type is most common, lasts a maximum of 1 hour, and has variable strength.Many waterspouts are no stronger than dust whirlwinds, which they resemble; at other times they are strong enough to destroy small craft or to cause damage to larger vessels, although modern ocean-going vessels have little to fear.

Waterspouts vary in diameter froma few feet to several hundred feet, and in height from a few hundred feet to several thousand feet. Sometimes they assume fantastic shapes; in early stages of development an elongated hour glass shape between cloud and sea is common. Since a waterspout is often inclined to the vertical, its actual length may be much greater than indicated by its height.

• Zone Time In Celestial Navigation - 2009-04-21 - 01:09:16
• Some common local winds are listed by local name - 2009-04-21 - 12:35:43
• Wind Patterns - Modifications of the General Circulation - 2009-04-21 - 05:46:03
• Maneuvering to Avoid the Storm Center - 2009-04-21 - 05:03:03
• Weather Routing - Benefits - 2009-04-19 - 07:35:50
• Weather Routing - Communications - 2009-04-19 - 07:25:17
• Weather Routing - Southern Hemisphere Routing - 2009-04-19 - 07:21:29
• Weather Routing - Types of Recommendations and Advisories - 2009-04-19 - 07:16:12
• Special Weather and Environmental Considerations - 2009-04-19 - 07:06:59
• Weather Routing - Synoptic Weather Considerations - 2009-04-19 - 06:15:22

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