Couple 'amazed' after spotting multiple waterspouts off Gwynedd coast

• Watch as the waterspouts form off the Gwynedd coast.

A couple were left "amazed" after capturing on camera four huge waterspouts off the Gwynedd coast.

Tom Jones and wife Rhian were at home near Tywyn on Sunday morning (July 7) when they spotted the waterspouts.

“Tom just happened to look down at the sea from our living room window and noticed the spouts,” said Rhian.

“They lasted a good 15 minutes if not more, followed by the most amazing downpour and then a beautiful day. To see one was amazing but four - wow!”

Spouts usually occur when cold air moves across the water and there is a large temperature difference between the two.

They are rotating columns of water and spray that are formed by whirlwinds over the sea and other bodies of water.

Despite appearances, they are usually small and weak, averaging around 50 meters in diameter.

Waterspouts travel at about 12 to 18mph, but mesocyclones, frequently seen in the United States, can cause a danger to life.

While the majority of waterspouts occur in tropical climates, they can be seen across the western coast of Europe and the British Isles.

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