Water spout off QLD coast
Andrew Smart has captured amazing vision of a water spout at Kelly's beach Queensland
BUNDABERG authorities say up to six waterspouts have been spotted off Bargara, a seaside town near Bundaberg which was hit by tornadoes last month.
Swimmers were evacuated from Bargara Beach as one of the spouts made landfall, causing minor damage to the Bundaberg Surf Lifesaving Club building.
Another crossed at Coral Cove near Innes Park and turned into a rain cell, according to one witness.
WEATHER: Flash flood warning 'for all of Brisbane'
GALLERY: See more pictures of the waterspouts
Bargara councillor Greg Barnes said one waterspout was seen off Coral Cove at Innes Park and two unconfirmed reports off Bargara.
Cr Barnes said the spout off Coral Cove could be seen as a tube stretching up from the sea but it dissipated into heavy rain when it hit land.
THAR SHE BLOWS: A waterspout off Bargara, near Bundaberg. Picture: Owen Bourke
Got pictures of the waterspouts? Send them to us via MMS to 0428 258 117 - include your name for attribution
"I was right in the middle of it. The wind wasn't bad, maybe 15 to 20 knots," he said.
"The rain was heavy, visibility was only 100m. It crossed and headed into Bundy. It was a narrow cell, about 2km long."
Burnett Heads resident Andrew Smart said he was at the dump with his brother when he first noticed the waterspouts from a distance.
Mr Smart was standing on a hill at the dump and said he could see two spouts from where he was.
As the pair returned to their car, Mr Smart could see the waterspouts moving and convinced his brother to follow them to Kelly’s Beach.
WILD WEATHER: A waterspout forms at Bargara. Picture: Supplied
“When we got to Kelly’s Beach it (the waterspout) was about a kilometre off the coast,” he said.
“It kept coming straight towards us...we jumped back into the car as it got closer but when it hit the coast I filmed it again.
“I don’t think we were silly chasing it. It was definitely worth doing. It was an amazing sight, absolutely amazing. It was very pretty as it went up into the sky and fizzed out.”
Mr Smart said he saw two proper waterspouts while standing on the hill at the dump, but said at least another two were trying to form at some stage.
“There were two coming down like vampire spikes,” he said.
The 50-year-old said he has only ever seen a waterspout once before in his life, when he was working on a trawler as a teenager.
WEATHER: One of six waterspouts that formed off Bargara, near Bundaberg.
Bundaberg Mayor Mal Forman said the disaster management team was now on"lean forward" status which was one degree before "alert".
The region is expecting up to 200mm from tonight and some pockets may experience 100mm in a six-hour period.
"It could cause flash flooding in some affected areas so we'll continue to keep an eye on it," said the mayor.
Authorities have not received calls for assistance.
Got pictures of the waterspouts? Send them to us via MMS to 0428 258 117 - include your name for attribution
Source: A day in the life of a wizard
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