A viral video from Tamil Nadu’s Thoothukudi triggered speculation about a rare tornado
June 22, 2026: A weather phenomenon captured on video in Tamil Nadu’s Thoothukudi district sparked widespread discussion on social media after several weather enthusiasts suggested it could be a rare tornado. The footage, which quickly went viral, showed a funnel-like formation in the sky, prompting speculation that it might be one of the first recorded tornadoes in the state. Private weather experts, including Navdeep Dahiya and Pradeep John, described the sight as highly unusual and rare for Tamil Nadu.
However, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) dismissed claims that a tornado had occurred. According to V.R. Durai, Director of the Regional Weather Forecasting Centre in Chennai, the weather event was linked to thunderstorm activity generated by an east-west trough over south Tamil Nadu. The conditions produced strong winds, dust lifting and vigorous updrafts near the Thoothukudi airport area, creating the appearance of a rotating funnel.
Meteorological officials explained that the formation was more likely a localised convective vortex, dust whirl or transient funnel cloud rather than a tornado. The strong upward movement of air beneath a cumulonimbus cloud likely lifted dust and stretched the air column vertically, creating the dramatic visual effect seen in the viral video. Authorities said such features can occasionally occur during intense thunderstorms without developing into full tornadoes.