Video: Waterspouts, funnel clouds could become more common with warming North Sea

Friday, 21 August 2026 - 08:36

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Waterspouts and funnel clouds occurred in various places in the Netherlands on Thursday, triggering a code yellow warning from the KNMI for the coastal provinces. These weather phenomena will likely become more common due to the warming sea temperatures, KNMI meteorologist Rob Groenland told Hart van Nederland.

Waterspouts are small, funnel-shaped columns that form over large bodies of water, according to the KNMI. They are sometimes seen over the North Sea, the Wadden Sea, and the IJsselmeer. The video shows a funnel moving over the beach at Hellevoetsluis.

Usually, a waterspout loses its strength over land, so they mainly pose a danger to people on the water. Although the wind field is generally less strong than with tornadoes, waterspouts are strong enough to cause damage or injury, the KNMI said on Thursday.

There are a few dozen waterspouts off the Dutch coast and over the IJsselmeer per year. According to Groenland, a weather warning for waterspouts is not exceptional. “Waterspouts are often difficult to predict. We issue a code yellow to warn people that it can happen and that they need to be extra careful,” he told Hart van Nederland. “It is a relatively small and very localized phenomenon, but there can be quite a bit of wind. This can certainly be dangerous for smaller sailboats, for example.”

The current exceptionally warm sea temperatures act as a “sort of battery” for the formation of waterspouts, Groenland explained. “Waterspouts are fueled by warm surface water. Now that the North Sea is historically warm, it is quite possible that we will see this phenomenon more often in the coming period.”

In the longer term, waterspouts will become more common in general. Due to global warming, high sea temperatures happen increasingly often.