Waterspout confirmed off Fort Lauderdale

Funnel clouds, waterspout sighted offshore

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – After seeing sunny and dry weather for most of the week, South Florida woke up to a sight to see just offshore in Fort Lauderdale.

A funnel cloud and waterspout were spotted just east of Port Everglades. The difference between the two is that a funnel cloud is a rapidly rotating cloud extending downward from the base of a cumulonimbus cloud. They are considered weak tornadoes that do not visibly reach the ground.

A waterspout is an intense columnar vortex (usually appearing as a funnel-shaped cloud) that occurs over a body of water, connected to a cumuliform cloud.

Overall, Friday morning's sight offshore means our atmosphere is unsettled and that we are moving into a summer-like weather pattern for the weekend.

Keep those umbrellas handy, since there is a chance of sea breeze storms Saturday and Sunday.


About the Author:

A native of Sacramento, California, Julie Durda joined Local 10 with extensive knowledge and experience in meteorology from various parts of the United States.