tornado outbreaks out at sea?

[scott r currens]

Wow, that tornadospout (whatever you want to call it) definitely looks to be 1/4-1/2 mi wide at least. This is an interesting topic that I was thinking of when I was down in Galveston this past October. The real question is, who is going to be the first person to actually try to do some major 'field' research on this?

I imagine it is difficult to sail away from a tornado like that with the strong converging winds.

 

[Karen Politte]

There was an amazing storm that floated just off the coast of Spain years back. It was tornadic and produced many amazing tornadic waterspouts of all shapes and sizes - including what I am comfortable with calling a bona-fide wedge-at-sea. Some of the tornadoes came ashore and did damage. I have asked folk on ST before if they know of the link to the photos of this storm - if anybody knows of it's whereabouts now I'm sure it would be great to post it as an example here!

KL

 

[Karen Politte]

Never mind - thanks to the wonders of search technology I found the original thread where I had asked if anybody knew of the whereabouts of the images from the Spanish storm. I can't believe it's still online, actually. Crazy. Check it out:

http://www.doncactus.com/tornado/tornado01.shtml

Here's the "water-wedge", although I remember a higher resolution version......:

KL

 

[Michael Thompson]

Here is a link to photos of a possible tornado over the sea, as opposed to traditional waterspout.

http://forum.weatherzone.com.au/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=5;t=000166;p=4

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_coast_tornado

The above article refers to the storm as a supercell.

This occurred close to my home area so I can tell you about conditions at the time. There was on land a very dry NW wind and bushfires. Often under such conditions the temperature lapse rate is actually quite steep, but no moisture. However a SE wind packed with moisture was working up the coast. Storms fired on the front. This was not a freak storm. I was out chasing that day further day the coast. Lightning was very active with several storms streched down the coast on the boundary. The fact that golf ball hail was recorded by the boats should rule out traditional waterspout.

 

[Bill Hark]

Although the Chesapeake Bay, here is an image from my Eastern Fury Collection of two waterspouts approaching Taylors Island, Maryland from the West. One is dissipating while the next one is forming. The videographer filmed the tornado move across the Bay, then onto land.

These waterspouts are tornadic having formed from the same cyclic supercell that earlier spawned the La Plata, MD tornado.

Bill Hark
http://www.harkphoto.com

 

[Jim Leonard]

http://www.cyclonejim.com/TORNADO-2.htm
Here's an example of what can occur over the oceans if your lucky enough to be there to witness it. This tornadic waterspout was associated with a storm with supercell characteristics over the Gulfstream E/O Miami Beach at midnight June 15th 1985. I snapped about 10 slides from my balcony. The top on this cell was reported to be 53,000 ft.

 

[Martin Kucera]

Amazing job on that one, Jim. Hope we'll be able to catch one like that during the upcoming summer, nice and close.

 

[Sean Casey]

It would be interesting to see what a nice cold core setup in the Winter/early Spring could produce over the GOM. Anyone have a fast boat or plane
we can chase in?

I think you've just given me a new mission.

 

[Saul Trabal]

More photos of a waterspout during an Australian boat race:

http://forum.weatherzone.com.au/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=5;t=000166;p=4

Incredible photos! Scroll down to seem them.