Mini Tornado Hits UAE Town, Thunder and Hailstorm Follow

A mini tornado with a diameter of around 12-15 metres hit Siji town in Fujairah on Tuesday.

According to storm_ae, it posted the video on Instagram, the incident happened around 2pm on August 29.

“It lasted for some 15 minutes, accompanied by thunder and hailstorm,” according to Khaleej Times.

The shared video captures a gray formation rising into the atmosphere, eventually as it proceeds to envelop the sky.

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A post shared by مركز العاصفة لمراقبة الطقس والتغير المناخي المؤسس omar alnauimi (@storm_ae)

A tornado is a rotating column of air that extends from a thunderstorm to the ground. According to meteorologists, “tornadoes form when warm, humid air collides with cold, dry air. They happen mostly in the afternoon, when the sun has heated the ground and the atmosphere enough to produce thunderstorms.”

Sand tornadoes, commonly referred to as 'dust devils', are typically harmless and are uncommon in the UAE.

In September of last year, a small tornado was seen in Al Ain, followed by heavy rain and strong winds. A similar incident occurred in Sharjah in September of last year. The National Centre of Meteorology (NCM) released a video of a dust vortex forming a funnel-shaped cloud in the Madam area.