waterspout
A waterspout has been filmed swirling off the coast of Fujairah, with the National Centre of Meteorology sharing a video of it on its Twitter feed.

The phenomenon is uncommon in the UAE and but can occur when the conditions are right. Several have been seen before off the coast of Sharjah, Ras Al Khaimah and Abu Dhabi.

According to forecasters, they normally happen during periods of unstable weather, especially in the transition of summer to winter, or vice versa.Official definitions describe it as a column of water formed by a whirlwind over the sea. They start from the surface and extend upwards, in a swirling body of condensed water vapour.

Experts say they are fairly static and hardly move, but they may prove dangerous to nearby vessels at sea.

Fujairah has been experiencing heavy rain, which led to the formation of the waterspout.