This is the moment a spectacular thick waterspout formed next to a coastal village in the Philippines.

The twister touched down from thick storm clouds, with lightning occasionally flashing in the town of Sual in Pangasinan province on October 8.

It rotated near the hillside, with the sea behind, before it eventually whittled down into a thinner funnel as it faded away.

Onloooker Yunus Inks said: 'The sea was behind the hills. The tornado was powerful and it was getting bigger. It happened at the same time as a storm.'

Waterspout tornadoes form when wind merges from opposite directions near the water's surface, creating a small area of spin. Warm air at the surface causes the spinning air to rotate faster and start to rise – picking up water simultaneously and forming the distinctive elephant-funnel shape.

As warm air rises, the cooler air moves in below and then rises, too. Sometimes the air spins so fast that it stretches and a funnel appears from the water to the thunderstorm cloud above.

Waterspouts are generally not dangerous but they can be a risk for aircraft flying through the area and for coral reefs and marine life in the water immediately below. Sailors should also try to avoid waterspouts as the power of the wind can cause damage.

They very rarely damage buildings as they dissipate when they reach land. However, they are dangerous of boats caught in their path or aircraft that fly through them.