National Weather Service confirms funnel cloud in Lee County

ALVA, Fla. (WINK)—The National Weather Service in Tampa confirmed a funnel cloud over Alva in Lee County.

Video captured from the Riverhall community showed the rotating column of air extending from the base of a storm. A funnel cloud differs from a tornado because it does not make contact with the ground.

The NWS confirmed the sighting as weather conditions in the area produced the atmospheric phenomenon. Funnel clouds form when rotating air extends downward from storm clouds but remains suspended above the surface.

Residents in Riverhall were able to document the funnel cloud as it appeared over the Alva area. The NWS monitors such weather events to track storm development and potential threats to communities.