A video of a waterspout posted to social media raised alarm among Malaysians as this natural phenomenon is rather uncommon.
Waterspouts are basically whirlwinds that move across seas or any body of water, and they can go up to thousands of feet high! They touch the clouds for God sake!
So anyone can imagine how surprising it is to see one in your own country.
The video that was circulating on social media depicted a waterspout just off the Penang bridge. In just one hour, the post has already been shared over 6,000 times!
In the video, several cars can be seen driving realllyyyy slowly and many other vehicles eventually coming to a halt.
Netizens who watched the video were shocked as they express their disbelief at the sight of it. The video was first shared by a fellow Facebook user. The authenticity of the video is yet to be verified.
In any case, this isn’t the first time a waterspout appeared in Penang. Throughout the years, several waterspout were spotted, with one of the most recent one happening around November 2016.
Source: New Straits Times
Waterspouts can occur at any place all over the coastal regions of the world. Which explains why waterspouts have been spotted in Penang, Sabah and Sarawak before. If Kuala Lumpur was closer to the beach, we may just be able to spot them too!
Even though a waterspout on sea is generally considered non-destructive, it still has an immense potential of being destructive.
Like a tornado, water spout can carry anything that comes in its way with it. Sand particles, small floating structures, humans, animals and sometimes even small boats may be carried along with a waterspout.
So it’s best to always steer clear from them!
Also read: Man Left ‘Suicide Note’ On Facebook Before Jumping Off The Penang Bridge
