India, June 22 -- A dramatic weather phenomenon in Tamil Nadu's Thoothukudi district sparked widespread speculation on social media after videos showed a towering, funnel-shaped column of dust and clouds resembling a tornado. However, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has clarified that the event was not a tornado.

According to the Regional Meteorological Centre in Chennai, the unusual formation was caused by intense thunderstorm activity linked to an east-west trough over south Tamil Nadu. Officials said strong updrafts beneath a cumulonimbus cloud generated localized winds, dust lifting and a rotating column of air near the Thoothukudi airport area.

The weather system damaged temporary tin-sheet structures and injured six peop...