Study Buddy (Explorer): All you need to know about waterspouts after rare sighting in Hong Kong’s Victoria Harbour
Each week, this page presents a light article with questions to test your comprehension.
A waterspout was seen in Hong Kong’s Victoria Harbour for the first time since records began. Photo: Government Flying Service
Content provided by British Council
Read the following text, and answer questions 1-9 below:
[1] A waterspout was spotted last month in Hong Kong’s Victoria Harbour for the first time since records began in 1959. The rare sight wowed witnesses, including dozens of parents and children at an outdoor swimming pool in Hung Hom near where the waterspout was believed to have landed. Social media platforms were awash with photos and videos of the waterspout.
[2] The weather phenomenon is characterised by a rotating column of water and air that forms over a body of water. Its Chinese name translates to “dragon-sucking water”. Typically associated with a funnel-shaped cloud, waterspouts form mostly in warm, humid conditions and usually occur in coastal areas or over lakes.
[3] While they may look like tornadoes, waterspouts are generally less intense and possess different characteristics. They can form either as a tornadic waterspout, which develops from a supercell thunderstorm, or the more common fair-weather waterspout, which forms in calm conditions without severe storms.
[4] The more common non-tornadic waterspout forms in calm weather. When the sun heats the surface of the water, the warm air above it becomes less dense and begins to rise with moisture. A cumulus cloud can develop rapidly above and create instability in the atmosphere.
[5] Under the right conditions, the rising warm air starts to rotate and forms a visible funnel. Its life cycle is usually shorter than 20 minutes. While a fair-weather waterspout starts at the water’s surface and extends upwards to the sky, a tornadic waterspout usually forms at the base of a thunderstorm and develops downwards.
[6] The Observatory has recorded 44 waterspouts sighted locally from 1959 to August this year. They were most commonly seen during the rainy season between May and October. Most occurred near islands.
[7] In July 2023, a photographer spotted one near the Soko Islands and said it lasted around five minutes. In June 2018, two fair-weather waterspouts were seen near Cheung Chau, the Observatory said. Waterspouts occur frequently in other regions. For example, the Florida Keys in the United States have more than 400 every year, one of the areas with the highest number of waterspouts.
[8] To stay safe, the best approach is to move at a 90-degree angle to its apparent path, according to the National Ocean Service in the US. It said it was important to resist the urge to get closer to investigate, as some waterspouts could be just as dangerous as tornadoes. Leung urged people to take safety precautions and to seek shelter indoors.
Source: South China Morning Post, September 29
Questions
1. What does the “rare sight” in paragraph 1 refer to?
___________________________________________________
2. What does a waterspout look like, according to paragraph 2?
___________________________________________________
3. What is the difference between a tornadic waterspout and a fair-weather waterspout, according to paragraph 3?
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
4. Paragraph 4 describes how … are formed.
A. calm weather conditions
B. cumulus clouds
C. warm atmospheres
D. none of the above
5. Decide whether the following statements based on paragraphs 4 and 5 are True, False or the information is Not Given. Fill in ONE circle only for each statement. (4 marks)
(i) Cumulus clouds are usually white and have a flat bottom and a rounded top.
(ii) Waterspouts only form in stormy weather.
(iii) Non-tornadic waterspouts and tornadic waterspouts move in different directions.
(iv) Non-tornadic waterspouts can last for hours.
6. According to paragraph 6, waterspouts can usually be seen …
A. near the mainland.
B. near islands.
C. in the city centre.
D. in the mountains.
7. In paragraph 7, how many fair-weather waterspouts were spotted in 2018?
___________________________________________________
8. Find a phrase in paragraph 8 that means “to stop yourself from doing something that you want to do”.
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9. Match the headers below to their corresponding paragraphs. (4 marks)
(i) What should you do if a waterspout forms?
(ii) What is a waterspout?
(iii) How often are waterspouts seen in Hong Kong?
(iv) How are waterspouts formed?
Answers
1. a waterspout in Hong Kong
2. a funnel-shaped cloud
3. A tornadic waterspout develops from a supercell thunderstorm, while a common fair-weather forms in calm conditions without severe storms.
4. D
5. (i) NG; (ii) F; (iii) T; (iv) F
6. B
7. two
8. resist the urge
9. (i) 8; (ii) 2; (iii) 6; (iv) 4