A funnel cloud spotted in the eastern skies above Sylvan Lake, Alta. Submitted by Michelle O'Connor Environment Canada has issued a tornado watch for several areas east and northeast of Calgary, but not the city itself.

Conditions are favourable for the development of funnel clouds or weak tornados, the weather office said.

A small funnel cloud was spotted over Sylvan Lake, west of Red Deer, at about 2 p.m. MT on Friday. It did not touch down.

These types of funnel clouds form out of large cumulus clouds or very weak thunderstorms and normally don't have the energy to reach the ground.

But the funnels can appear with little or no warning.

The communities listed under the watch include: Brooks, Strathmore, Vulcan, Drumheller, Three Hills, Red Deer, Ponoka, Innisfail, Stettler, Hanna, Coronation, Oyen, Medicine Hat, Bow Island and Suffield.

A funnel cloud appears northeast of Calgary near Chestermere on Friday afternoon. CBC"We can't get a huge tornado out of this, because these are not supercell storms, but we can get a weak one. I would be surprised if it had enough energy to reach the ground, but if it does it can still cause some damage over a small area," said Danielle Savoni, weather forecaster for CBC News Calgary.

Environment Canada said anyone who sees a funnel cloud should take shelter immediately.