ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Afternoon showers and thunderstorms popped up across the Tampa Bay area Sunday afternoon and evening. While these storms produced pockets of heavy rainfall, one storm produced a funnel cloud and what appears to be a waterspout.
At 7:20 p.m., a thunderstorm developed on the south side of St. Petersburg. Shortly after that, around 7:30 p.m. to 7:40 p.m., a brief waterspout was reported. Multiple videos and pictures show a skinny rope funnel cloud extending down somewhere near the Coquina Key area just south of downtown.
The National Weather Service has classified the report as a funnel cloud because no videos or photos show it clearly making contact with the Bay. But based off the position and video reports, there is a good chance at some point it did reach down to the water.
The storm then drifted west and weakened as it moved further inland into Pinellas County where the funnel cloud eventually dissipated. No damage has been reported in that area.