'Dust Devil': Chennai's Marina Beach sees whirlwind-like phenomenon. Video

The wind tossed around a few shops in and around the area and led to fear among those present in the Marina beach in Chennai. (Image credit: Twitter/News18 Tamil Nadu).

Visitors at Chennai's Marina beach witnessed a wind pattern similar to a whirlwind on the sands of the beach at around 10 pm on Monday night, an ETV Bharat report said.

In a video shared on X (formerly Twitter), a large column of wind could be seen moving in a circular manner across a small stretch of the beach. The wind tossed around a few shops in and around the beach and led to fear among those present, who were left wondering as to what they had just seen.

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— News18 Tamil Nadu (@News18TamilNadu) October 16, 2023

As per reports, no major damage was caused by the phenomenon which lasted for only a few minutes.

While the visuals could leave many wondering over whether a mini cyclone had hit the beach, a meteorologist later clarified that the Marina beach had witnessed a natural phenomenon named "Dust Devil".

"This is not a cyclone, but a natural phenomenon. It's called the Dust Devil. This event is held from time to time. But many people did not notice this. It mostly takes place during the day," the meteorologist told ETV Bharat. 

What is a Dust Devil?

A dust devil is a powerful, well-formed but short lived whirlwind. Dust devils are generally harmless but in some rare cases, can destroy property and cause harm to the people.

Dust devils develop when a pocket of hot air near the surface increase quickly through cooler air above it, leading to the formation of an updraft.