There seems to be some confusion over whether the
Lennox Head event was a Tornado or waterspout.
Wikipedia defines today’s event as a Tornadic waterspout.
There are also non-tornadic waterspouts.
See Wikipedia for full explanation of these events. They are very active around the
Florida Keys area,which could cause problems in the oil-spill areas, though the oil
slicks may inhibit this activity.
Neville Gillmore.
“Tornadic waterspouts”, also accurately referred to as “tornadoes over water”, are formed from mesocyclonic action in a manner essentially identical to traditional land-based tornadoes in connection with severe thunderstorms, but simply occurring over water.[7] A tornado which travels from land to a body of water would also be considered a tornadic waterspout.[8] Since the vast majority of mesocyclonic thunderstorms occur in land-locked areas of the United States, true tornadic waterspouts are correspondingly rarer than their fair-weather counterparts. However, in some areas, such as the Adriatic, Aegean and Ionian seas, tornadic waterspouts can make up half of the total number.[9]