A huge funnel cloud appeared over the Bristol Channel on Sunday as heavy storms hit the UK.
The unusual phenomenon was spotted by a number of social media users, including Dr Arthur Richards, who tweeted footage of it from Portishead in Somerset at around 4pm.
According to the Met Office, funnel clouds, also known as a tuba, form when a rotating column of wind draws in cloud droplets.
Dramatic view from Portishead: watched a waterspout(?) processing up the Bristol Channel pic.twitter.com/4J1ZSxWcvM
— Arthur Richards (@DrARichards) August 16, 2020
They become defined as a waterspout if they make contact with a body of water, or a tornado if they reach land.
They are usually seen when heavy rain, hail, thunder and lightning are on the way.
