Wow! A rare waterspout over Sun Moon Lake, Taiwan

Many saw this rare waterspout over Sun Moon Lake in Nantou, Taiwan, yesterday (November 16, 2023). Bob Kuo – a longtime contributor of interesting photos to EarthSky’s community page – wrote:

A rare treat for tourists! We were wrapping up our first day of activities at the famous landmark in Taiwan, the beautiful Sun Moon Lake. As we lounged over the balcony overlooking the ferry pier, it began to rain and there was a strong gust of wind. I noticed a faint funnel column began to appear and realized it was a waterspout forming right in front of me! I didn’t waste time looking for my camera and just fired away with my phone to take photos and a short video. This rare sight lasted only for about 2 minutes.

What a beautiful sight, Bob! Thank you for sharing.

Radio Taiwan International (RTI) posted a video of the event, which you can see below. In an article at RTI, Filip Leskovsky wrote:

Waterspouts are common in tropical and subtropical waters; however, this is the first time spectators at Sun Moon Lake have witnessed this phenomenon …

Meteorologists believe that the waterspout was caused by a cold front that passed through the area. The cold air from the front interacted with the warm air over the lake, creating a strong upward motion that caused the waterspout to form.

A witness described the waterspout as looking like a waterfall coming down from the clouds. Another witness who also saw the waterspout said that she thought it was just a black cloud raining, but soon realized that it was a waterspout. She said she was very lucky to witness this …

A waterspout like this is a rare sight and can be a reminder of the power of nature.

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Video from people who saw it

Bottom line: An EarthSky community member caught this rare waterspout over Sun Moon Lake on November 16, 2023. What a catch! Thank you, Bob!