A funnel cloud that can turn into a tornado if it touches the ground was spotted in Ipswich yesterday.

Ipswich Star: Photo by Curtis Beadle PhotographyPhoto by Curtis Beadle Photography (Image: TAKEN BY CURTIS BEADLE PHOTOGRAPHY)

Pictures of the “amazing” phenomenon were captured by reader Curtis Beadle at 2.36pm.

Mr Beadle said: “I was looking outside and saw this massive cloud forming and didn’t think anything of it until I got the camera out and zoomed in.

“While taking pictures I noticed it was getting bigger and there was a tornado shaped cloud coming down off the main anvil cloud. I then zoomed in on the cloud and it was 100% a tornado.

“An amazing sight to see although not big I definitely wouldn’t want to be underneath it.”

Ipswich Star: Picture of funnel cloud captured by Curtis Beadle.Picture of funnel cloud captured by Curtis Beadle. (Image: TAKEN BY CURTIS BEADLE PHOTOGRAPHY)

Weatherquest’s Adam Dury, operational forecaster, and Dan Holley, tornado expert, confirmed that the pictures depict a “weak funnel cloud”.

Mr Dury added: “With the photos showing it not reaching close to the ground I would say it was not a tornado however it is a funnel cloud with a weak circulation.

“It is certainly plausible that a funnel cloud will have formed yesterday because the right conditions were there.”

He said the right conditions for a funnel cloud was an area of convergence.