Funnel Cloud Spotted In Markham
Posted August 22, 2009 5:00 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
A funnel cloud has been spotted northeast of Toronto in Markham.
Witnesses report edseeing the ominous-looking patch touching down in the Highway 407 and Highway 48 area shortly after 4pm Saturday.
Environment Canada issued a special weather statement, saying the episode was likely brief and localized, with wind speeds of up to 90 kilometres per hour.
It says the funnel cloud was caused by a weak disturbance and was not as powerful as the storm that tore through the GTA on Thursday.
But experts warn that any funnel cloud can be dangerous and people should take cover if they see one.
Tornadoes vs. Funnel Clouds
A tornado is a tightly spinning column of air in contact with the ground beneath a thunderstorm cloud. The rotating column is physically connected to the cloud base or wall cloud and is often visible as a cloud-filled “condensation funnel”. If the air is dry enough, the tornado may only appear as a swirl of dirt on the ground without a visible connection to the cloud above.
In contrast, a funnel cloud spins in mid-air without touching the ground. To tell the difference between a funnel cloud and a tornado, look for swirling dust or debris near the ground under the funnel. If present, then a tornado is occurring. Most tornadoes and funnel clouds are preceded by and form approximately in the middle of an accompanying rotating wall cloud. The Fujita scale (F0 to F5) is used to rate the severity of tornadoes after they occur by the extent of the damage they cause. The parent storms often are observable on Doppler radar and can be forecast.
Source: Environment Canada
Image credit: CityNews viewer Vanessa Meli
