They captured a video of a waterspout in Lake Chapala, located in Jalisco. The natural event was recorded on the morning of August 9, between 8:00 and 9:30 a.m.; This was reported by the National Water Commission (Conagua) through its official Twitter account.
According to the agency, the incident was reported by observer Rosalia Vázquez, from the Piedra Barrenada weather station, Jocotepec.
Likewise, Tornados México, a research group affiliated with the Institute of Geography of the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) assured that it is a common situation in this area, where the locals call them “snakes “.
“A #spout is reported this morning over Lake Chapala, #Jalisco. These types of phenomena in the area are quite common and are locally known as snakes”; Tweeted Tornadoes Mexico.
The event was recorded in the middle of the rainy season; Rainfall has been so heavy during the first days of August that the San Miguel River in El Alto recently overflowed its banks. The overflow occurred on August 3 and left a balance of 19 houses and 12 businesses affected. In addition to that, 150 people received the order to evacuate.
According to official information, in some parts of the town, the water level exceeded one meter in height, which is why elements of various government agencies were deployed to support the population.
What is a waterspout?
According to Conagua, a waterspout is “a whirlwind vortex similar to a tornado that originates in a body of water, regularly in the sea or lagoons, and are usually less intense than those that occur on land.”
According to the University of Guadalajara, the vortex or whirlpool originates due to the rotation of the wind on the surface; it becomes visible because the water around it condenses.
The waterspout reaches heights that do not exceed 914 meters and a diameter of between 15 and 46 meters. The dimensions vary throughout the period in which it remains active until it finally disappears when the air inside it becomes cold.
On this occasion, the impressive natural phenomenon was recorded in a video taken in Chapala, where you can see a huge column raised above the body of water.
It is worth mentioning that this same day another waterspout was recorded but in Ahome, Sinaloa. The event was captured by cameras in the fishing village of Paredones.
