A natural weather occurrence called a “waterspout” touched-down over Lake Qinghai in West China yesterday. There were as many as nine spouts over the course of an hour.

While they look similar to tornadoes, waterspouts are generally much weaker and require different atmospheric conditions to form. They also don’t usually last long, but can wreak havoc if they hit any boats out at sea. Most interestingly, while waterspouts touchdown on the water, they are actually rotating columns of air and do not suck any water into the funnel.

An expert from the Qinghai weather bureau said waterspouts are a common and relatively harmless phenomenon.

Eyewitnesses were more colourful in their descriptions, saying the waterspouts looked like a “giant dragon pillar holding up the sky”, or that the mythical dragon, Jiaolong, was “emerging from heaven”.

Western observers may have a particular appreciation of extreme weather phenomena following repeat viewings of “Sharknado“, but the waterspouts are more impressive than any multi-million dollar CGI budget could offer.

Photos: CCTV