As thunderstorms were popping up across the Carolinas Wednesday, WCNC Charlotte viewer Sarah Deer recorded a video of a dust devil spinning up at Charlotte Douglas International Airport.
WCNC Charlotte Chief Meteorologist Brad Panovich explains dust devils, which look like tornadoes but are not twisters, likely spun up because of the heat energy coming off the warm ground. The weather in Charlotte that afternoon had soared into the 90s with a heat index over 100 degrees. As thunderstorms moved into the city, and caused a cooling of the air temperature, the winds combined with the heat to spin up the dust devil.
"I actually think the urban heat island - the heat from the city - allowed that storm to explode," Panovich explained.
The adjacent thunderstorm storm, which prompted the National Weather Service to issue a Severe Thunderstorm Warning, produced radar-estimated winds of 60 mph. Persistent heavy rains from the storm lead to flooding along Little Sugar Creek, which runs through neighborhoods including Nada, Elizabeth, and Dilworth.
Low-lying areas, and poor drainage areas, also flooded Wednesday in Charlotte.
Across the region, numerous, scattered thunderstorms brought down trees and powerlines.
More storms and heat were expected in the Charlotte weather forecast Thursday.
Unlike tornadoes, which start at the clouds and moved down to the ground, dust devils start on the ground and build upwards. The dust devil video was backdropped by lightning from the nearby severe thunderstorm.
Like videos about weather? Join Brad Panovich and the WCNC Charlotte First Warn Weather Team on their YouTube channel, Weather IQ.