In the San Lazaro neighborhood of Sta. Ana, a sudden gust of wind and a deluge uprooted trees and sent one motorbike flying. Cruz, Wednesday afternoon in Manila.
Traffic cones and massive tree branches on the road can be seen being blown away by the tornado-like winds and rain in a video that Jeff Epoy Carreon uploaded on Facebook.
Carreon was one of the drivers who sought refuge with other drivers while filming the now-viral clip, which has received 3.2 million views. Because of the powerful thunderstorm on June 22, the hard wind and rain appeared to be a tornado, although they were actually more like a downburst.
Rojas stated in a tweet that “The winds are continuously blowing from the same direction, not vertically rotating like those of a tornado,”
In another tweet, Rojas noted that the downburst appeared to have been directed by nearby structures, according to the footage, leading to stronger gusts.
The National Weather Service, a US organization that provides weather predictions, describes downbursts as “strong winds that drop from a thunderstorm and spread out swiftly once they touch the ground.”
The organization also mentions that downburst damage might be confused for tornado damage.
The National Weather Service defines a tornado as “a violently rotating column of air touching the ground, usually attached to the base of a thunderstorm.”
Aside from the high gusts and heavy rains in Manila, News5 claimed that residents of Roxas City, Capiz, and Tagbilaran, Bohol saw ipo-ipo, or waterspouts.
Click here to see the actual video
