Five Waterspouts Forming Near the Coasts of Finland Amuse Onlookers 

When several waterspouts were observed spinning simultaneously in an area where such a weather phenomenon has not frequently been reported, many people rushed to take pictures.

Awe Now, Fear Later

(Photo : Photo: Julian Kupfer / Wikimedia Commons)

Usually, when stormy weather is predicted, many people stay away from the beach or board a boat. But for many tourists in southwest Finland who flocked to the water last weekend to see an amazing weather phenomenon, that was not the case.

Nina Rantanen, a tourist in Kustavi on Finland's southwest coast, watched in awe as five waterspouts started swirling in the sea as a storm moved in and the sky turned dark. Rantanen quickly reached for her phone to snap a photo of the amazing scene.

According to Rantanen, who spoke to the local media, spectators lined up to watch as these enormous waterspouts spun away. Some, she claimed, were "stronger," while others were "narrower."

Effect of Low Pressure

According to AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Tyler Roys, the unusual sight was caused by an area of low pressure that was moving away from southern Finland and into Russia as well as another area of low pressure that came up the border between the Russian and Baltic states.

A cargo ship encountered some of the same weather off the island of Isokari, which is located on Finland's southwest coast, to the southeast of Kustavi. The ship's captain, Jeffery Ripson, revealed to Storyful that on July 9, his crew saw an unusual occurrence.

To record the moment three swirling waterspouts struck the water at once, crew members on board the ship quickly reached for their phones.

Hazardous at Any Size

According to Ville Siiskonen, a meteorologist with the Finnish Meteorological Institute, these waterspouts are particularly hazardous for watercraft. A waterspout of any size can gather enough water to sink boats in the water.

The stormy weather persisted as the weekend came to an end and a new week began, and more waterspout reports were made.

A member of the Finnish Border Guard saw up to seven waterspouts at once on July 11 off the northern part of Land, a group of islands off Finland's southwest coast.

Read also: Waterspout Turns Into a Tornado at Landfall in a Fort Myers Beach Resort in Florida 

Waterspouts

Waterspouts, according to Roys, are tornadoes that form over water. It frequently follows showers or thunderstorms.

When the right conditions are met and there isn't a thunderstorm present, waterspouts can also form. When there are significant temperature differences between the water and the air, "fair weather" waterspouts can form. These frequently happen all along the American Great Lakes, AccuWeather reports.

Although waterspouts are common in the area, it is unusual that so many of them happened at the same time.

According to the Finnish Meteorological Institute, it is unusual to see so many waterspouts close together.

The European Severe Weather Database estimates that the area has seen about 100 waterspout reports since 1980. Given that severe weather was largely not reported for the past 40 years, Roys claims that this figure is likely an underestimate and that there were probably more waterspouts than 100.

Related article: Waterspouts: What You Need to Know About the Shifting Weather Patterns Over Great Lakes