What is this whirlpool that looks like a tornado filmed near Thionville?

The phenomenon is a classic in hot, dry weather, but filming it live is a much rarer thing. Saturday afternoon, Sofiane Rezzoug had the surprise of capturing a whirlwind of dust on her smartphone – otherwise called dust devil -, while mountain biking north of Thionville.

“I was with two friends; this is our weekly outing. We started from Hettange-Grande to go up to Bettembourg, via the country lanes. On leaving Roussy, on the way up to Frisange, I saw a column of dust in a field. At first I thought it was due to the passage of a tractor and then nothing more, ”he explains. But a few seconds later, his eye is intrigued by a new phenomenon. This time, the young man is observing the vortex forming on the surface of the ground. And then it all went really fast: “I can’t tell you exactly how high the column of dust rose, but I would say 10-15 meters. This is where I filmed. It lasted a good minute, ”says the mountain biker, still amused by this fortuitous experience.

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“With my friends Julien Camacho and Romain Di Certo, we are from the Pokemon generation. We joked: this is Yu-Gi-Oh! »And because he is really nice, Sofiane sent his video to our editorial staff.

In recent days, many people say they have seen similar whirlpools in northern Lorraine. Unlike tornadoes, which form during stormy episodes, dust devils are born on the ground, as a result of a physical exchange between two air masses. “It still reminded us of everything we’ve seen in movies since we were very young,” adds Sofiane. Yes, and that’s why the video will please you!

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