Waterspout forms off Danao City

CEBU, Philippines -   There was brief panic among residents of Danao City yesterday afternoon after a waterspout, locally known as “buhawi” formed between Camotes Island and the neighboring town of Carmen.

Residents were later relieved when the waterspout moved further away from the shoreline minutes later, SPO1 Lolito Oliveria of the Danao City Police Station told The FREEMAN.

Oliveria, who himself saw the said weather phenomena almost 5 p.m., said that it rained heavily few minutes after they witnessed the waterspout, prompting him to believe that the waterspout developed into rain, thus it did not hit land.

There was also no report of any damage in other parts of the province that could have been brought about by the waterspout as of yesterday.

Oliveria said some residents, after realizing they were no longer in danger, rushed towards the fishport in Barangay Poblacion and gathered there to watch the waterspout.

The police official described the waterspout as very huge.

“Dako g’yud kaayo, mura’g puno-an sa dako kaayo na buli bitaw,” Oliveria said. He added that the waterspout was several kilometers away from their shoreline and was heading towards Carmen and Camotes Island. 

A few minutes later, it rained heavily.

“Mi-ulan ug tuda pagkahuman, mga minutos ra g’yud. Dako man sad ag dag-om sa area kung dis-a nakit-an ang buhawi,” he said.

Boy Artiaga, weather observer of Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration-Mactan, in a radio report, said the waterspout spotted yesterday was the result of the formation of dark clouds.

Artiaga said the whole Cebu yesterday experienced scattered rainshowers and dark clouds which will still be experienced for the next three days because of the Inter-tropical Convergence Zone.

“Posible man g’yud maporma ang buhawi because of the formation of dark clouds. Bisan asa na siya mahulog kay depende man na sa porma sa dag-om ug asa mag-pondo,” Artiaga said.

He said that the phenomena yesterday could have destroyed a lot of property and even claimed lives if it hade made landfall.

As defined online, a waterspout is an intense columnar vortex that occurs over a body of water and is connected to a cumuliform cloud. In the common form, it is a non-supercell tornado over water, and brings the water upward. It is weaker than most of its land counterparts. —/BRP   (FREEMAN NEWS)