Rare Waterspouts Spotted Off Boston's Coast

Walpole resident captures video of twin vortexes near Castle Island

Apr. 8, 2026 at 6:06pm

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A sweeping, dramatic seascape painting depicting a pair of massive, swirling waterspouts dominating the turbulent ocean, with small boats or structures dwarfed in the distance by the overwhelming scale of the natural phenomenon.Rare twin waterspouts off the coast of Boston underscore the power and unpredictability of extreme weather events in urban coastal areas.Boston Today

A Boston-area man walking near Castle Island on Tuesday morning captured video of an unusual weather phenomenon - two possible waterspouts traveling across the water toward him. Meteorologists said the vortexes would have to reach the base of the clouds to be classified as true waterspouts, and noted the closer one appeared to be rotating clockwise, which is opposite most funnels, spouts, and tornadoes.

Why it matters

Waterspouts are relatively rare in the Boston area, and the twin formations spotted in this case were particularly unusual, providing a glimpse into the power and unpredictability of extreme weather events that can occur even in urban coastal environments.

The details

Walpole resident Michael Bianculli was walking around Pleasure Bay near the DCR Murphy Memorial Rink when he spotted the two vortexes traveling across the water. His video shows the twin spouts, with Bianculli asking "Is that a waterspout?" Meteorologist A.J. Burnett of WCVB noted that the closer waterspout seemed to be rotating clockwise, which is the opposite direction of most funnels and tornadoes.

  • On Tuesday morning, April 8, 2026, Bianculli spotted the waterspouts while walking near Castle Island.

The players

Michael Bianculli

A resident of Walpole, Massachusetts who captured video of the rare waterspouts off the coast of Boston.

A.J. Burnett

A meteorologist for WCVB-TV who analyzed the unusual weather phenomenon seen in Bianculli's video.

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What they’re saying

“That's kind of wild. Is that a waterspout?”

— Michael Bianculli

“What makes these waterspouts even more unique is that the closer waterspout seems to be rotating clockwise, which is opposite most funnels, spouts and tornadoes.”

— A.J. Burnett, Meteorologist

The takeaway

This rare sighting of twin waterspouts off the coast of Boston serves as a reminder of the unpredictable and powerful weather events that can occur even in urban areas, underscoring the importance of weather monitoring and preparedness for coastal communities.