SANFORD, Fla. – A waterspout was spotted Wednesday morning over Lake Jesup near Sanford as scattered storms popped up in the area.
A News 6 photographer and reporter took photos of the waterspout near the Orlando Sanford International Airport, but it did not reach the ground nor cause any damage.
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Photos (see below) shared by Jayson Rivera, of Black Hammock Adventures & Airboat Rides, show the waterspout touching Lake Jesup.
“We have a lot of circulation going on in the atmosphere,” News 6 chief meteorologist Candace Campos said. “We don’t have all the ingredients (for a tornado), but we certainly have enough spin to create that.”
A stalled out cold front just north of Central Florida will continue to create an environment for storms over the next few days.
The spout was initially believed to be a funnel cloud, but weather officials -- and photos -- later clarified that it was on the water.
[VIDEO: Funnel cloud near EPCOT in 2022 | STORY CONTINUES BELOW]
So what, exactly, is a waterspout?
Waterspouts come in two versions: tornadic and fair-weather.
Tornadic waterspouts are tornadoes that form on land and then track into the open water. These tight vortices have similar characteristics to a tornado, producing strong winds. Tornadic waterspouts develop from the cloud, downward to the ground. The highest risk of seeing tornadic waterspouts is during a severe thunderstorm near open water.
Fair weather waterspouts generally form during relatively calm conditions, under a developing cumulus cloud. Instead of forming near the clouds, like a tornadic waterspout, the fair weather version develops on the surface of the water and works its way upward to the clouds. Their surprise factor makes these waterspouts dangerous for boaters. These waterspouts tend to form while winds are light, limiting their tracking speed.
No matter the version, waterspouts can be dangerous to boaters if they get too close.
The National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration says the best way to avoid a waterspout is to move at a 90-degree angle to its movement.
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raychelhall
Before the storm on Cocoa Beach this afternoon at 5pm