Learn about the causes of the water tower phenomenon and its effects on Fujairah

Ibrahim Al-Jarwan, a member of the Arab Union for Astronomy and Space Sciences, told "Emirates Today" that the phenomenon of water towers has been repeated twice this year, as it was seen in the coasts of Ras Al Khaimah last winter, to return today to the coasts of the Emirate of Fujairah, as the duration of the two towers did not exceed hours, and its effects are local, simple and characterized In slow motion, the wind speed was up to 90 kilometers per hour.

Al-Jarwan noted that the damage to high-rises is very limited and is concentrated in strong winds that last for a few minutes in the Al-Amoud area and move within a certain path, as fishermen can see it from a distance of two kilometers and they must stay away from it at a distance of more than three kilometers.

The high-rise was defined as a column of air mixed with water spray in the form of a vertical swirling cloud mass over a lake or ocean (it usually appears in the form of a funnel that may reach the clouds, and therefore it is sometimes called a “funnel cyclone” although it is not classified as a hurricane, not in terms of strength and violence and not in terms of size).

Al-Jarwan explained that these natural phenomena often form when cold air passes over warm water, and with the emergence of a rotational movement of air and mist saturated with water, the water column begins to appear. Cold air over relatively warm water, forming a layer of warm air above the surface of the water is less dense than the incoming cold air, which leads to instability of the air.

And about its forms, he said, "The water column has many forms in several forms that depend on different sizes, groups, speeds and different time periods, some of them reach cumulus clouds or thunderstorm clouds, and some extend hundreds of meters above the water body, in which the water of the water body is drawn upwards. The column, including what is formed singly or in groups of two or more, takes up to tens of minutes or limited hours.

Al-Jarwan said that its diameter may reach about twenty meters, and it usually runs at a speed of about 15-25 km / h, and its rotational wind speed may exceed 90 km / h, and the water column phenomenon is most common in spring and autumn, when the discrepancy is Or the disparity between air and water temperature is large, which provides the right environment for the appearance of water columns.

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