© REUTERS
A large waterspout was spotted off Singapore's shores yesterday morning, near the Tanjong Pagar Terminal. The weather phenomenon was captured by eyewitnesses in the area, who posted photos and videos of it on social media.
Mr Justin Lim, 31, an economist, said he spotted the waterspout from his condominium at about 9am.
"It was about to rain and the skies were quite dark, and then I saw a line in the horizon, which started coming closer. The waterspout was weak at the start, but it became bigger as it came closer," Mr Lim told
The Sunday Times.
According to the National Environment Agency, waterspouts are seen occasionally over Singapore's coastal waters, although they usually dissipate rapidly on reaching the coast.
They typically form beneath cumulus or cumulonimbus clouds over warm coastal waters just before showers begin. The "funnel" is formed by water droplets in a rotating vortex of air. The lifespan of a waterspout can vary from a few minutes to half an hour.
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