Residents of Diamond Harbour in South 24-Parganas saw a giant column of wind on river Hooghly on Wednesday evening.
Eyewitnesses said the column seemed to “roam” on the river surface for around five minutes before it vanished.
Eyewitness Rejaul Mallik said it created panic when it seemed like it was approaching the embankment.
“I saw it around 4.45pm and it was gone within five minutes,” said Mallik. “I’d never seen such a thing earlier.”
On June 10, residents of Sagar island found a similar column of wind on river Hooghly.
G.K. Das, the director of the India Meteorological Department, Calcutta, said that such cylindrical wind columns happen owing to low pressure. “We call such system a waterspout. Such a cylindrical system occurs during low pressure and usually ends up in the river. It may have impact if it hits the land as a cyclone,” he said.
