A rather ominous-looking water spout was spotted off the UK coast last week, catching the attention of visitors and locals alike.
The incredible water tornado was captured on film by Lisa Wroe, who was on holiday in the Suffolk coastal town of Southwold at the time.
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The 49-year-old security officer and budding photographer was amazed at the weather phenomenon as it tore through the sea last Friday (28 August).
Lisa, who is originally from Flint in Wales, said: "The dark 'funnel cloud' appeared and was pointing downwards, hitting the surface of the sea and churning it up.
"It was really weird at the time, it looked like smoke was coming off the surface of the water, but then I realised it was the funnel cloud hitting the surface.
"I've never witnessed it before. I was very pleased to be in the right place at the right time."
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In a separate interview, the avid photographer told the Press Association: "I was sat near the pier and it went very dark in the distance and started thundering.
"I noticed out to sea what looked like smoke on the horizon. On closer inspection I realised the sea was being churned up directly underneath this long pointed 'arrow' coming out of the sky.
"Then the lifeguards cleared the beach, presumably as a precaution. It started raining heavily and the tornado travelled along the horizon, and thankfully not towards us."
According to her account, the water spout eventually disappeared as the coast became cloudier with the arrival of heavy rainfall.
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The Met Office reports that there have been several reports of funnel clouds and tornadoes across the UK in recent years.
Funnel clouds, also known as a tuba, form when a rotating column of wind draws in cloud droplets.
They become defined as a water spout if they make contact with a body of water, or a tornado if they reach land.
Although they might look scary, incidents of water spouts causing severe damage and casualties are rare. Plus, those recorded in the UK tend to be a lot less severe than in areas such as America.
Case in point: an incredible yet terrifying clip emerged last month showing the moment six water spouts started swirling in the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of the US state of Louisiana.
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Looking like something straight out of a disaster movie, the series of vortexes can be seen sucking up water from the sea.
The footage was captured by Frank LeDay, who captioned his video: "Wow!! Ever see 6 water spouts at once?"
Nope, and let's hope that we never do - one is enough for now, thank you very much.
Featured Image Credit: CatersTopics: Weather, UK News, Weird