Rare ‘sextuplet’ funnels appear on lake with world waterspout record, video shows

A rare “sextuplet” of waterspouts was recently spotted amid an “outbreak” on the Great Lakes, experts say.

The six simultaneous spouts appeared Tuesday, Oct. 21, off the coast of Long Point, Ontario, Canada, the International Centre for Waterspout Research said in a Facebook post, sharing video of the ominous group of funnels.

A total of eight waterspouts were recorded over the Great Lakes on Tuesday, part of an ongoing “Great Lakes Waterspout outbreak” expected to continue until Friday, Oct. 24.

The nearly weeklong outbreak is a result of cold air flooding “over the relatively warm waters of the Great Lakes,” according to experts.

“Like many forces in nature, waterspouts can be both beautiful and dangerous,” the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says. “They’ve been known to overturn boats, damage large ships, and put lives in jeopardy. If you spot one, exercise extreme caution and keep your distance.”

Long Point is located on a peninsula jutting out into Lake Erie. While the Great Lakes are known as a hotbed of waterspout activity, Lake Erie is especially notable, as it set a world record in 2023 for the most waterspouts recorded in a 24-hour period.

These dramatic displays over the Great Lakes most commonly occur in late summer and early fall, which is when the water is at its warmest, according to the National Weather Service.

“Waterspout formation typically occurs when cold air moves across the Great Lakes and results in large temperature differences between the warm water and the overriding cold air. They tend to last from about two to twenty minutes, and move along at speeds of 10 to 15 knots,” or roughly 11 to 17 mph, according to NWS.

This story was originally published October 22, 2025 at 4:15 PM with the headline "Rare ‘sextuplet’ funnels appear on lake with world waterspout record, video shows."