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  Channel NewsAsia 12 Jun 07
Waterspouts spotted off east coast of Singapore

Straits Times 26 May 07
A towering sight off the east coast
By Andrea Ong

Channel NewsAsia 25 May 07
Waterspout sighted off Singapore's east coast

SINGAPORE: A waterspout has been spotted from the eastern parts of Singapore. Most callers to the MediaCorp News Hotline reported seeing what looked like a tornado or a twister over the sea. Most said they saw the phenomenon at about 2.30pm and that the phenomenon lasted about 15 minutes. Witnesses said it was moving in a circular motion.

The waterspout could be seen in several areas including Chai Chee, East Coast Park, Suntec City and Potong Pasir. Last August, a waterspout was also spotted off the coast of Sentosa Island.

The National Environment Agency (NEA) said intense thunderstorms were the cause of the phenomenon. The waterspout is a narrow column of water that is sucked to the base of a cloud, making it look like a funnel. An average diameter of a waterspout is 50 metres and it has average wind speeds of up to 150 kilometres per hour.

The NEA added that waterspouts will dissipate rapidly near the coast. It also clarified that waterspouts are not rare as there are actually several sightings each year. - CNA/yy

Photos on the CNA website

Straits Times 26 May 07
A towering sight off the east coast
By Andrea Ong

THOUSANDS of people from the city centre to Changi were transfixed yesterday afternoon as a large water spout appeared off the east coast. The water funnel rose majestically from the sea, and sent people scrambling for their cameras and cellphones.

In fact, the water spout broke all previous records for reader reaction at The Straits Times' online portal Stomp, with 150 SMSes, MMSes and e-mails streaming in within 10 minutes. In all, Stomp received more than 500 images and videos from readers, who used various terms to describe the phenomenon: a tornado, cyclone, hurricane and even 'a finger of God'.

The spout was large enough to be spotted from Marina Bay, Shenton Way, Kallang, Bedok, the East Coast and even at Changi.

Staff at Equinox Restaurant - atop the 226m-tall Swissotel The Stamford hotel - were amazed by its size. Its manager, Mr Mutto Kawary, 30, said the huge column seemed like it was more than twice the hotel's height.

The National Environment Agency (NEA) said in a statement that the spout appeared at about 2.30pm off Marine Parade and lasted about 30 minutes.

Mr Benjamin Li, 24, said he saw an aircraft in its vicinity and feared for the plane's safety. The account executive was in his 31st-storey office in Springleaf Tower in Anson Road. 'Everyone went quiet,' he said. The plane emerged unscathed.

Water spouts appear when a type of cloud, cumuliform, forms during thunderstorms, creating low-pressure pockets. A column of water is then sucked up towards the base of the cloud.

The NEA said water spouts are common in tropical waters and there are usually one or two sightings off Singapore in a year. The last spout was seen in August last year.

Spouts seem to dissipate fairly quickly. While they can pose a threat to small boats in the water, they usually weaken and vanish when they come nearer to shore.

Channel NewsAsia 12 Jun 07
Waterspouts spotted off east coast of Singapore

SINGAPORE: More waterspouts have been spotted in Singapore. Callers to the MediaCorp News hotline reported seeing several off the east coast.

There was no calm before the storm, as dark clouds over SAF Yacht Club at Changi spun into tower-high water spouts. And eyewitnesses say they saw more than one spinning off the waters of Singapore.

"From where I stood, it was about 10 storeys high. There were three of them. They were about a few metres away from each other. There was one more that was forming. We could see water spinning at the top but it wasn't fully formed yet at the bottom," says Ariff Wahid from the SAF Yacht Club.

"There were a lot of waterspouts coming near to the club. But actually it was very far. It started to disappear half an hour later. It was spinning very fast towards one of the big ships there," says Fadilah Hajis, a member of staff at the SAF Yacht Club.

About 20 people including staff and guests at the club spotted the phenomenon from as early as 10 in the morning. Most said it lasted for about half an hour before heavy rain took over.

The last time something similar was reported was at East Coast Park in late May 2007. The National Environment Agency confirmed Tuesday's sighting. - CNA/yy
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