A waterspout formed off the coast of Broome yesterday.
© Richard Young PhotographyA waterspout formed off the coast of Broome yesterday.
A large waterspout has been captured off the coast of Broome in a dazzling display of nature.

Storm-chaser Richard Young filmed the moment the spout formed at Gantheaume Point as a storm rolled in yesterday afternoon.

"With a very active wet season in the north west town of Broome, today's early afternoon storm producer a spectacular waterspout off the coast," he said.

"Initially the cloud base below the storm produced a broad area of rotation with a thin connection to the water and then continued on to produce a beautiful...thick waterspout."

It lasted close to seven minutes and then moved away from the coast line, Mr Young said.


Weatherzone meteorologist Rob Sharpe told 9news.com.au that waterspouts occurred when there were significant updrafts within a thunderstorm over water.

"When [a storm is] over water and if the thunderstorm has a strong rotating updraft it's able to draw that up," he said.

"It's particularly dangerous for fisherman as wind gusts within them are typically 90 to 100km/h."

"They seem to act like tornadoes but they're not as dangerous."

The waterspout lasted for close to seven minutes.
© Richard Young PhotographyThe waterspout lasted for close to seven minutes.