Last Tuesday, people on the Amalfi coast in Italy saw more than one waterspout form offshore, fuelled by high humidity and relatively warm sea surface temperatures.
A waterspout is a column of rapidly rotating air, filled with cloud, which forms from a cumulus cloud above a large body of water. They are similar in appearance to small tornadoes but are typically far less powerful. A typical waterspout is about 50 metres wide with wind speeds of about 50mph, and lasts for only five to 10 minutes.
