No mini cyclone occurred off the coast of Machabée in the Glacis district, contrary to what people have been saying and sharing photos on social media.
Yesterday, people shared photos of a phenomenon they described as a mini cyclone and even described what happened using words like ‘twirling, anti-clockwise, water sprays into the air with small central eye’.
Seychelles NATION contacted the Seychelles Meteorological Authority chief executive Vincent Amelie who said: “This is not anything like a cyclone. There’s nothing on our monitoring system to depict that and furthermore cyclone doesn’t form or behave like that.
“This can be classified as a waterspout occupying a limited space beneath a cloud with enough water content to give rain in such a fashion.”
Waterspout is known as laponp in Creole.
Mr Amelie added: “Actually the weather condition is conducive for such, the same way we can see lightning from a distance. We often get waterspouts but they don’t always appear similar.”
According to the National Geographic, a waterspout is a column of rotating, cloud-filled wind. It descends from a cumulus cloud (usually detached, individual, cauliflower-shaped) to an ocean or a lake. Waterspouts are similar to tornadoes but are usually smaller and less intense.
Source: Seychelles Nation