Photos posted on social media showed what appeared to be a waterspout spinning in the Atlantic near Ocean Grove.
, also posted by Godynick, showed a funnel cloud hovering above the ocean near Spring Lake.
Staarmann said it’s possible the Spring Lake photo may have been snapped shortly before or shortly after the bottom portion of the funnel cloud touched the water surface. If a funnel cloud hits water, it is classified as a waterspout. If it touches down on land, it would be considered a tornado. Waterspouts are basically swirling columns of air and water, with the same characteristics as tornadoes. On average, New Jersey usually gets a few waterspouts each year.
While waterspouts are more likely to form during strong thunderstorms, the weather service said no lightning or thunder was reported during the rain showers along the Jersey Shore in the late morning or early afternoon.After reviewing photos and radar images, the National Weather Service determined it was a waterspout that touched down off the coast of Monmouth County at about 11:51 a.m. Thursday.Thank you for relying on us to provide the local weather news you can trust.
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