[imagesource: Facebook / FlyingNews]

While the South African Weather Service (SAWS) issued an Extreme Heat Advisory for the Western Cape and Northern Cape on Sunday, November 27, Gauteng was playing a whole other weather game.

Vaalies were in awe (and a little fear) as they witnessed funnel clouds forming in the stormy sky above.

A funnel cloud is usually formed from a cumulonimbus cloud during heavy rains and can start to become a tornado the moment it hits the ground. It is formed from a “rotating column of wind (which) draws in cloud droplets, making a region of intense low pressure visible,” according to the UK Met Office.

Mostly, the funnel clouds herald heavy rain, thunder and lightning, as well as hail.

SAPeople reported that passengers flying into Johannesburg on Sunday were a little unsettled when they saw the strange phenomenon from their windows:

Image: Screenshots / SAPeople

Meanwhile, people on the ground and in cars in areas including Boksburg, Edenvale, and Germiston also filmed the funnel cloud:

Edenvale got a full load of the interesting cloud:

Again, a funnel cloud is not a tornado. It is merely the beginning of a tornado but does not necessarily mean it will turn into one.

As The South African makes clear, storms can produce funnel clouds but never produce a tornado and the rotating column of air and that tight circulation only causes damage and becomes dangerous when it reaches the ground.

The Citizen reported that tornadoes are not as uncommon in South Africa as some people might believe.

Quite a few sightings of the weather phenomena and frequent warnings of severe storms have gathered in the country, with another funnel cloud spotted in Emalahleni in Mpumalanga on Sunday.

Vox Weather meteorologist Annette Botha says the funnel clouds are no joke:

Botha – who warned funnel clouds were dangerous and commonly a severe thunderstorm – said the number of tornadoes was likely to increase as thunderstorms grow more severe.

“A funnel cloud can become a full-fledged tornado in seconds. But even if it remains a funnel and never makes a touchdown, these severe storms are usually associated with hail, gusting winds and heavy downpours.

Unfortunately, funnel clouds or tornadoes cannot be forecast.

In the event of seeing an actual tornado, protect yourself inside, under something like a table, away from windows. It is not recommended to stay in your car as that can also go flying.

[sources:sapeople&southafrican&citizen]