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Waterspouts spotted on Lake Michigan Tuesday

Posted at 9:27 AM, Jul 15, 2014
and last updated 2014-07-15 13:31:21-04

SOUTH HAVEN, Mich. — At least one waterspout has already been spotted as showers moved onto the West Michigan lakeshore Tuesday morning.  The photo above was posted on Facebook by Tina Moll Bunker off the shore of South Haven.

Another waterspout was reported off the coast of St. Joseph by the National Weather Service.

Cool, unstable air in the upper levels of the atmosphere, combined with a large amount of ‘spin’ in the flow, make for favorable conditions for waterspouts to develop.  These conditions are most common in the late summer and early fall, but unseasonably cool air is creating a similar situation this week.

Waterspouts are typically weak and short-lived, but can still cause dangerous conditions for boaters or people along the shore.  They generally fall apart within minutes of hitting land.

If you can safely take photos of waterspouts, post them on the FOX 17 Facebook page.

The full forecast can be found on the Weather page.