Footage shows a large waterspout tornado that formed next to a fish port off the coast of the Philippines on April 25.

Driver Philip Kerr recorded the rare weather phenomenon that appeared above the ocean in Bulan, Sorsogon province.

He said: ‘We were all shocked because it was our first time to see this kind of tornado.’

Those seen in the video are known as a ‘fair weather waterspout’. They are most commonly found in subtropical areas and usually disappear shortly after they come into contact with land.

Waterspout tornados form when winds merge from opposite directions near the water’s surface, creating a small area of spin. Sudden warm air at the surface causes the spinning air to rotate faster and it starts to rise – picking up water at the same time. Sometimes the air spins so fast that it stretches and a funnel appears from the water to the thunderstorm cloud above.