What is that? Likely gustnado spotted in Central Texas
LIBERTY HILL, Texas (KXAN) — Viewers near Liberty Hill spotted a likely gustnado during Thursday's storms in Central Texas. A gustnado may look like a small tornado but is not classified as one, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
KXAN Chief Meteorologist David Yeomans said a gustnado forms in a different way from a normal tornado.
"Instead of beginning with a circulating cloud up high, they actually form down low in the eddies of outflowing boundaries from thunderstorms," Yeomans said.
A gustnado is classified by the NOAA as a "Thunderstorm Wind event" and is similar to a dust devil. Stronger gustnadoes can cause damage, the NOAA reports.
The photo shown in the video above was taken around 2 p.m. Thursday near Liberty Hill.
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The last time Austin officially received measurable rainfall, before Thursday, was June 27. The 51-day streak sits in the record books as the eighth-longest stretch of consecutive days with no measurable precipitation.