Storm spawns waterspout near Roanoke Island

Friday afternoon’s thunderstorms spawned a waterspout seen from north Roanoke Island to Wanchese.

Jose Lopez of Spencer Yachts captured dramatic images of the large waterspout from OBX Marina in Wanchese, one of them showing the column touching the water.

On the north end of Roanoke Island, John Van Riper got a photo of the waterspout with Virginia Dare Bridge in the foreground.

Waterspouts are weak tornadoes that form over water, and they’re not an unusual sight on the Outer Banks.

Heavy rain is expected late tonight into Saturday as a low pressure system approaches from offshore while a cold front moves in from the west. Up to two inches of rain is possible for the Outer Banks through the weekend.