A rare, but harmless dust devil has been caught on tape near Campbell River.
YouTube user Sandra K. posted the video on August 12.
The video shows a tall, narrow funnel reminiscent of a tornado making its way through a parking lot.
But Environment Canada meteorologist Louis Kohanyi says the phenomenon is not a tornado, but a rare dust devil.
“It is not a tornado, because tornadoes are associated with thunderstorms, and there were not any that day,” says Kohanyi.
“When there is a very big difference in temperature between the surface air and the atmosphere, dust devils can form…On that day, there was hardly any wind, and it was quite warm that day, so in the afternoon, we were looking at temperatures around 29 degrees.”
The video description claims the event took place in the McIvor Lake area near Campbell River.
Kohanyi says it is quite rare to see a dust devil form on Vancouver Island, because dust devils normally require a flat terrain to develop, and are more common in desert like areas like B.C. Interior and the Prairies.
Unlike tornadoes, dust devils are usually harmless. But Kohanyi says sometimes they can grow large enough to pose a threat to people.
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