Northern Tornadoes Project validates reports of waterspout, estimating minimum winds of 90 km/h
CHRISTIAN ISLAND – A waterspout spotted over Georgian Bay near Christian Island last week has been confirmed by the Northern Tornadoes Project (NTP).
Referred to by the NTP as a tornado (over water), the waterspout occurred at approximately 11:30 a.m. on Friday, Oct. 9. It was captured in photos and video by witnesses.
The NTP, based at Western University, confirmed the event and assigned it an EF0-Default rating, the lowest rating on the Enhanced Fujita Scale. This indicates it met a minimum wind-speed qualification of 90 kilometres per hour. No damage was reported.
Capt. Derek Manitowabi of Beausoleil Fire and Emergency Services shared a video of the waterspout on social media. He captured the footage using the department’s drone from the fire hall.
A waterspout is a rotating column of air and water mist that forms over a body of water, extending from a cumulus or cumulonimbus cloud to the surface.
The NTP’s estimated location for the event was 44.86 degrees north latitude and 80.32 degrees west longitude, west of Christian Island.