IMD clarifies Thoothukudi weather event was not a Tornado

A dramatic weather phenomenon in Tamil Nadu’s Thoothukudi district sparked widespread speculation on social media after videos showed a towering, funnel-shaped column of dust and clouds resembling a tornado. However, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has clarified that the event was not a tornado.

According to the Regional Meteorological Centre in Chennai, the unusual formation was caused by intense thunderstorm activity linked to an east-west trough over south Tamil Nadu. Officials said strong updrafts beneath a cumulonimbus cloud generated localized winds, dust lifting and a rotating column of air near the Thoothukudi airport area.

The weather system damaged temporary tin-sheet structures and injured six people in the vicinity. Videos of the event quickly went viral, with some weather enthusiasts initially describing it as a rare tornado.

Meteorologists, however, said the phenomenon was more likely a localized convective vortex, dust whirl, or transient funnel cloud rather than a true tornado. The incident occurred amid intense thunderstorms reported across parts of Tamil Nadu.