Unusual weather phenomenon

Kommetjie is sparkling in the sunshine today after a night of consistent rain - the best way to receive it - and a day of clearing clouds, leaving the earthy scent of vegetation newly dampened and the crisp sea air drifting gently ashore. The breakers are heavy and the sea surrounding Slangkop is covered in a layer of white foam, while the rest of the sea rises and falls in a shimmer of sunlight.
As the sun set yesterday, I looked out of the window and saw a sight I have never seen before. A downburst, which looks like a mushroom-shaped cloud, and appears to be drawing itself up from the sea. It was so dark and unfamiliar that I took a photo and subsequently got further information from those in the know as to what this spectacular phenomenon was. It is quite possible that I will never see another one again. The official version is "a strong ground-level wind system that emanates from a point source above and blows radially from the point of contact at ground level", They can be just as damaging as a tornado and cause disruption to shipping and aviation, so I hope none of the Hout Bay fishing fleet were caught in it.

If I had known what it was, I would definitely have gone down to the rocks to take better photos without the house obstruction, but I stayed on the deck and watched it move in from the west rather than find myself out in what might be severe weather conditions. 

If I didn't make a habit of looking out to sea and up into the sky all the time, I would miss all these exciting things. There's no doubt about it, we should all keep looking up and observing our surroundings to increase our knowledge and awareness of the world we live in.