The afternoon of Thursday October 9, 2025a whirlpool of considerable dimensions was registered in zones 11 and 12 from Guatemala City.
Neighbors recorded videos that quickly went viral on social networks, showing the force of the wind and some minor damage, such as falling trees and branches.
He Insivumeh explained that the phenomenon was related to cumulonimbus cloudsresponsible for local storms and heavy rains. The specialist Ana Pérez, from Insivumeh forecasts, explained more about the topic.
What are cumulonimbus
The clouds cumulonimbusaccording to Pérez, are characterized by their vertical developmentgrowing upwards and not sideways. Masses of warm and humid air move within these clouds, which can generate:
- Convective rains with electrical activity.
- Local storms of variable intensity depending on the size of the cloud.
- Strong winds capable of moving light objects and trees.
These clouds are the engine of phenomena such as whirlwinds, whirlpools and tornadoesand which, according to the expert, are mainly differentiated by their intensity, duration and the impact they cause.
Differences between whirlwind, whirlpool and tornado
Although at first glance they appear similar, wind phenomena are distinguished by its size, duration and strength:
- Whirlwinds: They are the least intense. They tend to form quickly and disappear within minutes. Although they can reach speeds similar to those of a whirlpool, their impact is limited and usually cause minor damage, such as fallen branches.
- Swirls: They last longer than whirlwinds and can reach speeds of 30 to 50 km/h. The one observed on Thursday was a whirlpool of considerable dimensionswhich explains the alarm of the neighbors and the videos that went viral.
- Tornadoes: They are the most intense phenomena, with winds that exceed the 100km/h. They are categorized according to the damage they cause, ranging from torn off roofs to falling trees and severe structural destruction.
In practical terms, the speed does not always determine the category: The duration and damage generated are key elements to differentiate each phenomenon.