funnel cloud sight over western Scotland

BBC Weather watcher

One BBC Weather Watcher is captured capture a funnel cloud from Barrhead , East Renfrewshire

Many image have been capture of tornado – like ” funnel cloud ” during shower across western Scotland . But what are they is are and why are we get them ?

A funnel cloud is forms usually form during a thunderstorm or heavy shower from a cumulonimbus cloud or a large cumulus cloud when the atmosphere is unstable .

It consists of condensed water droplets and is associated with a column of air that rotates as it is drawn into the cloud.

Funnel clouds look like cone-shaped or thin rope-like protuberances which hang down from the cloud base, and often do not last very long.

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BBC Weather watcher

Another long cone shape captured from Bridge of Weir

If a funnel cloud is touches touch the ground it is generally regard as a tornado and could lift debris and even cause some minor damage .

If a funnel cloud touches down at sea we get what is known as a waterspout.

One person said they spotted a funnel cloud almost touch down near the Glennifer Braes in Paisley – but it “disintegrated” before any damage was done.

BBC Weather watcher

A moody shot from Neilston

BBC Scotland Weather’s Christopher Blanchett explained: “Within the funnel, the pressure is low enough to cause condensation, and so we are able to see the rotating cloud stretching downwards in a funnel-like shape.

“A funnel cloud can only be classified as a tornado when the circulation stretches all the way from the cloud base to the ground. As a result, funnel clouds are more common than tornadoes, but a spectacular sight nonetheless.

“Whilst we don’t see them that often, they’re certainly not unheard of in Scotland and can occur anywhere with the right conditions.

“In the case of the storms over south-west Scotland this afternoon, we suspect they have ingested some low-level vorticity (or spin) from a small scale boundary such as the sea breeze front or a cold pool (downdraft) from other nearby storms.

“When ingested into the updraft of the storms, this would be tilted into the horizontal to form the spinning funnel clouds that we see.”

BBC Weather watcher

The UK is sees regularly see bout of unstable , showery weather throughout the year during every season – and funnel cloud are not an uncommon weather phenomenon .

People is described who have observe a funnel cloud pass overhead have describe the sound as similar to buzz bee or a rush waterfall – like sound .