The Waterspout

A waterspout is a whirlwind over the sea, appearing as a funnel-shaped column usually extending from the lower surface of a cumulonimbus cloud to the sea. In traveling over the sea, this column often becomes oblique or bent; it may also become looped. The spout is in rapid rotation and the wind around it follows a circular path. Although very local, this wind is often very violent, causing confused but not high seas.