Waterspout spotted at Victoria Harbour

The Observatory (HKO) on Saturday said a waterspout was reported around noon in the vicinity of Victoria Harbour. Videos have been circulating online showing a swirling column of water, seemingly connecting the sky with the harbour. A former assistant director at the HKO, Leung Wing-mo, who's now a spokesman for the Meteorological Society, said waterspouts are rare in Hong Kong, adding that only a few waterspouts had been seen in the city over the past 60 years. Leung also said the occurrence of a waterspout depends on many factors, including the location of a thundercloud, humidity, and the atmosphere. "At the time that the waterspout was observed, if we look at the radar imagery of the Hong Kong Observatory, we had a rain area right in Victoria Harbour, and that rain area is also a thunderstorm bearing," he explained. "So, it all depends on whether this thunderstorm cloud occurred. If it occurred over land, then probably we have a tornado. We have a thunderstorm cloud right over Victoria Harbour, then we have a waterspout." Meanwhile, the Observatory has warned that strong gusts were affecting Hong Kong and it advised people to seek shelter.

Waterspout spotted at Victoria Harbour

Waterspout spotted at Victoria Harbour

Waterspout spotted at Victoria Harbour

Waterspout spotted at Victoria Harbour

Waterspout spotted at Victoria Harbour