Watch: Rare Waterspout Forms Off Odisha's Puri Coast, Stuns Tourists

Tourists and locals were left spellbound on Saturday as a rare waterspout formed off the Astaranga coast in Odisha's Puri district. As dark clouds gathered over the sea, a long, elephant-trunk-like funnel descended from the sky toward the water, where a swirling vortex formed. The Meteorological Department said that the phenomenon was caused by unstable weather conditions in the Bay of Bengal and advised fishermen to remain vigilant.

In the local dialect, this phenomenon is referred to as 'Hatisunda' (Elephant's Trunk). According to eyewitnesses, dark, rain-laden clouds gathered over the sea on Saturday afternoon, and the weather suddenly turned stormy. Within moments, a long, funnel-shaped column began to descend from the clouds toward the ocean's surface.

Watch: Rare Waterspout Forms Off Odisha's Puri Coast, Stuns Touristshttps://t.co/6CGN0atCCi pic.twitter.com/Fcx0xncSFA

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The column bore a striking resemblance to an elephant's trunk, while a swirling vortex formed on the water's surface directly beneath it. Crowds gathered quickly, and many began recording the rare event on their mobile phones.

What Is a Waterspout?

In meteorological terms, this phenomenon is known as a waterspout. It is a powerful, rotating column of air that forms over oceans, lakes, or large reservoirs. A waterspout occurs when warm, moist air rises rapidly and interacts with an unstable atmospheric environment beneath storm clouds.

Such phenomena are occasionally observed along the Odisha coast during periods of atmospheric instability in the Bay of Bengal. Experts have advised fishermen and boat operators to remain alert the moment such a system begins to form at sea.

(With inputs from Dev Kumar Ghosh)