Waterspout Spotted a Luxury Yacht Sinks: What Does It Mean?

A sailing yacht sank on Monday. The yacht carried 22 people, including Mike Lynch, the British billionaire off the coast of Sicily. The cause of sinking is still not known. Witnesses say that they observed a waterspout, which is actually a tiny tornado-like column. A violent storm came up, and that is when this waterspout was formed.

What exactly is a waterspout? Let's understand.

Understanding waterspout

Waterspouts are actually columns of moisture and spinning air. The National Weather Service says that these are quite similar to tornadoes.

There are a few distinct forms of waterspouts. One is a risky variety which gets formed downward from a thunderstorm, and another one is the fair weather waterspouts, which get developed in fair weather.

The tornadic waterspouts can either get developed as tornadoes over the land and then move out to sea. Some can also get formed in a storm over a huge body of water, as per the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association.

The difference between the two is simple. Agencies say that fair weather waterspouts are relatively well. These spread quite quickly and do not lead to any major damage. Tornadic waterspouts are linked with risky lightning,s high winds, and hail.

When the yacht sank, the Italian authorities reported intense lightning and strong winds.

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How often can one find waterspouts?

Waterspouts may actually be more common than tornadoes. However, what makes them difficult to track is the fact that oceans are quite vast.

Peter Inness, a meteorologist at the University of Reading, United Kingdom, said, “The Mediterranean is possibly one of the places where waterspouts are most likely around the world due to the warm ocean surface and a climate that is very susceptible to thunderstorms throughout the summer and autumn.”

A 2022 study by scientists from the University of Barcelona suggests that the waterspouts usually come over warmer sea surfaces For about an year, the North Atlantic ocean has been supremely hot for about an year.

On Monday, the International Center for Waterspout Research expressed on X, formerly Twitter, that 18 waterspouts near Italy have been confirmed. Various fishermen in the region of the incident witnessed the waterspout and expressed to the Italian media.

The incident

The captain of a nearby boat, Karsten Börner rescued over 15 passengers. The captain expressed in an interview that he viewed the Bayesian over 490 feet away.

It was not easy to see what actually happened amid the storm. “My theory was that she was capsized first and then went down over the stern,” the captain said.

The Bayesian mast was about 237 feet tall. This was one of the tallest aluminium masts in the world. It also had a distinct keel. This keel could be easily raised or lowered, as per Perini Navi, its manufacturer. A keel is actually a downward-extending centerline under a boat that can aid in stabilizing the vessel.

Andrea Ratti, the associate professor of nautical design and architecture technology the Politecnico di Milano, said “In this case, having a tall aluminum mast would not make it the safest port to be in case of a storm.”

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