NWS: Possibility of landspouts in 9 RGV cities today

BROWNSVILLE, Texas (ValleyCentral) — The National Weather Service has issued a special weather statement for nine Valley areas to advise residents about the possibility of tropical funnel clouds and landspouts.

But what are landspouts?

According to the National Weather Service, a landspout is a tornado that does not arise from organized storm-scale rotation and therefore is not associated with a wall cloud (visually) or a mesocyclone (on radar).

"Landspouts typically are observed beneath Cbs or towering cumulus clouds (often as no more than a dust whirl), and essentially are the land-based equivalents of waterspouts," the NOAA's National Weather Service glossary reads.

As of 9:13 a.m. Wednesday, a special weather statement has been issued for the cities of Sarita, Raymondville, Brownsville, Harlingen, Port Mansfield, Port Isabel, Laguna Vista, South Padre Island and Boca Chica Beach.

Tropical funnel clouds and landspouts are possible in these areas.

"The combination of light winds and increased tropical moisture will make atmospheric conditions favorable for the development of weak tropical funnels or landspouts today (especially this morning into this afternoon)," the statement reads. "Most of these funnel clouds will be short lived and usually do not touch the ground. However, you should be prepared to seek shelter in the event a funnel does reach the ground in the form of a landspout."

On Saturday, a waterspout was spotted near South Padre Island.

According to the NOAA's National Weather Service glossary, a waterspout is a tornado occurring over water.

"Specifically, it normally refers to a small, relatively weak rotating column of air over water beneath a Cb or towering cumulus cloud," the glossary reads. "Waterspouts are most common over tropical or subtropical waters."

ValleyStormTeam Chief Meteorologist Bryan Hale said that while these spouts are mostly harmless, people should always avoid their path on water and land.