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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
World
Peter Beaumont

Sicily yacht sinking: how do waterspouts form and what risk do they pose?

A bending black column of water surrounded by wider grey eddies of water vapour at sea
A tornadic waterspout off the coast of Cyprus. Photograph: Andreas Manolis/Reuters

The fatal sinking of a luxury yacht belonging to the wife of the British businessman Mike Lynch off the coast of Sicily has focused attention on the ocean phenomenon of waterspouts, how they are formed and the risk they pose to sailors in areas where they are more common.

What is a waterspout?

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