A WATERSPOUT was seen Wednesday afternoon, May 19, 2021, over Bacolod Real Estate Development (Bredco) Port in Bacolod City.

Executive Assistant Joemarie Vargas, cluster head of Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (DRRMO), said the waterspout was seen in the coastal area of Bredco Port around 1 p.m. but did not make landfall.

He said it lasted for several minutes and there were no reports of damage.

“It’s a natural phenomenon (waterspout) that usually occurs when the summer season is about to end and signaling the start of the rainy season,” he added.

Vargas said it also appears when there is an Inter-tropical Convergence Zone.

If it is huge and reaches the land, he said it can damage structures or houses.

A waterspout is an intense columnar vortex usually appearing as a funnel-shaped cloud that occurs over a body of water, according to Wikipedia.

Vargas said a small waterspout was also spotted in the port area of Barangay Banago and there were no reports of damage.