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Severe weather brings 3 waterspouts, heavy rain to Tampa area

Photo by TOM VARGA

Today's volatile weather created three waterspouts, including this one off of Clearwater Beach.

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TBO.com

Published: July 27, 2009

Updated: 07/27/2009 01:22 pm

TAMPA - Thunderstorms rolling through the Tampa Bay area churned out severe weather this morning, including three reported waterspouts, heavy rain and strong gusts.

One waterspout formed in Old Tampa Bay about 11 a.m. Marine spotters were the first to relay the information to the National Weather Service, which then issued a marine warning until 11:15 a.m.

The same storm produced a second waterspout about 20 minutes later that was spotted near the Courtney Campbell Causeway, said Rick Davis, forecaster for the National Weather Service in Ruskin.

That spout came very close to shore, which prompted the weather service to issue a tornado warning.

"They can be extremely dangerous," Davis said. The waterspouts that formed on the bay may have had winds of 60 to 80 mph, he said.

Clearwater Beach resident Tom Varga said he's aware of the danger waterspouts pose but often sits out on his balcony to watch them. Varga took snapshots of the first waterspout this morning from his 10th-floor condominium.

It was just a sliver of a spout, and didn't look threatening at all, Varga said.

"I was sitting here working; I looked up and there it was," he said. "We watch this stuff all the time."

The chances of waterspouts forming decrease during the day as storms move inland, Davis said.

There is still a 60 percent chance of rain today. Some areas may get wind gusts of 40 to 50 mph with heavy rain, Davis said.

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