Adriatic Waterspout
© Mark ThomasAdriatic Waterspout
The weather took a dramatic turn on Sunday as thunder rolled and lightning cracked across southern Croatia — and nature put on a powerful show with a huge waterspout forming over the Adriatic Sea.

The towering funnel cloud, clearly visible from the coast, swirled for several minutes before dissipating, leaving onlookers stunned by its size. Waterspouts — essentially tornadoes that form over water — are relatively common in the south of Croatia during stormy conditions, but this morning's spectacle was especially large and long-lasting.

Formed when unstable, humid air meets cooler temperatures above the sea, waterspouts can appear suddenly, creating dramatic scenes as columns of rotating air whip up the water below. Though usually short-lived and less destructive than land tornadoes, they remain a powerful reminder of nature's force.

Video of the phenomenon quickly spread online, with many commenting on the rare scale of today's Adriatic waterspout.