Thunderstorm clouds behind Damansara landspout, says MetMalaysia

KUALA LUMPUR: A landspout that struck Damansara, Selangor, yesterday evening was caused by active thunderstorm clouds, according to Malaysian Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia) director-general Dr Mohd Hisham Mohd Anip. According to Hisham, a tornado is a rapidly rotating column of air that develops when wind shear and updrafts form alongside thunderstorm clouds.

He stated that tornadoes in Malaysia are typically small, measuring less than 10 meters and lasting only briefly. This makes them challenging to detect via radar and weather satellites. However, MetMalaysia had issued a thunderstorm warning for districts in Selangor at 5:30 pm on October 13, he informed Bernama.

MetMalaysia explains that landspouts over land and waterspouts over the sea are common during monsoon transition periods, specifically from March to May and September to October. The phenomenon is attributed to unstable, humid atmospheric conditions coupled with weak winds originating from divergent directions. Several videos of the incident were shared on social media, depicting vehicles halted at a toll plaza as powerful winds appeared to lift the rear end of a vehicle off the ground.