A DRAMATIC cloud formation which was spotted over Ennis, Co Clare, and which was widely reported in the media as a “mini” tornado, may be a case of misidentification, a Met Éireann spokesman has said.
Meteorologist Pat Clarke made the comments after a man travelling through Ennis captured an image of the cloud on his mobile phone over the Showgrounds area of the Co Clare town shortly after 4.40pm on Monday.
“If the cloud did not make contact with the ground then it was not a tornado; it was what’s known as a funnel cloud,” Mr Clarke said at Met Éireann.
“However, in Ireland it is not unusual for tornados to occur; we get about a dozen or so a year. Certain climatic conditions favour the generation of tornado such as warm humid weather with the prevalence of thunder storms.
“There are other factors, such as wind-sheer, where the wind comes from different directions, which also play a part. A number of areas across the country had these conditions on Monday.”
A funnel cloud is a condensation funnel extending from the base of a towering cumulus cloud which is associated with a powerful rotating column of air. It becomes a tornado only when it touches the ground surface.
Martin Foudy, a native of Inagh village 15km from Ennis, captured the final moments of the funnel cloud on his camera phone. “I was driving along the Kilrush road and was turning at a junction when I spotted what I am sure was a tornado or twister in the distance.
“There was no great wind where I was at the time, but the funnel could be clearly seen beneath a massive black and grey cloud. I was very surprised to see it so I stopped and took out my camera phone. It was spectacular but it didn’t appear to be too close to the ground at any stage.”
