A total of six waterspouts – the phenomenon is often observed in "families" – were spotted from the islet of Keri, off the North coast of Estonia, on Thursday morning.

Meteorologist Kairo Kiitsak reported on his social media account that: "According to one eyewitness, six waterspouts appeared over the sea in the space of two hours."

The largest of these was also captured on video by Vitalii Zhurba (see below).

Keri is an uninhabited islet in the Gulf of Finland and to the Northeast of Tallinn, most noted for its 19th century lighthouse.

While hardly in tornado alley, water spouts in the Gulf of Finland are quite a common occurrence, particularly in late summer to early fall, when colder air masses start to arrive while the sea remains warm.

Despite appearances, waterspouts do not suck up seawater, though high wind speeds present a maritime hazard.

In their most common form, they emerge in moisture-laden environments when their parent clouds are in the process of development. They can also appear in thunderstorm conditions – such conditions were forecast for Estonia Thursday.

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