A long waterspout sparked panic among villagers after forming off the coast in the Philippines.

Footage shows the thin, thread-like weather phenomenon extending from a mass of rain clouds to the sea below in Negros Oriental province on June 10.

Resident Bryan Ibanez said he was on his way home from work when the dark clouds appeared.

He said: ‘I was heading home when I saw the dark clouds. My neighbours were panicking because it might move but luckily the waterspout just stayed in place.'

The waterspout reportedly lingered for about 15 minutes before it disappeared, followed by heavy rain.

Waterspout tornadoes are intense columns of swirling tornado clouds that form over a body of water.

They are most commonly found in subtropical areas and disappear shortly after they come into contact with land.

Scientists believe they are formed when pockets of warm air near the water surface rise suddenly.

Cooler air is then sucked into the low-pressure air, which picks up water and rises towards the clouds in a rotating motion.