Waterspout spotted off Baggy Point

A waterspout described as "a tornado over water" was spotted just up the road from Ilfracombe at Baggy Point near Croyde BBC News reported on Friday.

A local rambler taking a stroll along the popular walking trail on Thursday witnessed the phenomenon and told Ilfracombe People "I was quite worried when I first spotted the tornado as I thought it was a cyclone headed for land but I later found out that it was in fact a waterspout which was a huge relief!"

Waterspouts are a fairly rare occurrence in the UK, with around 15-30 reported sightings in a year. Their name can be slightly misleading as waterspouts actually consist of clouds and do not suck up water; the water seen in the main funnel cloud is actually water droplets formed by condensation. The column shaped vortex is formed when there is a marked difference in temperature between the sea and the air.

To view a video of the waterspout filmed by the crew of an RAF Rescue helicopter from Chivenor click here.