A powerful dust devil swirled outside a restaurant in Thailand.

Gusty winds swept away dried leaves and dirt when the weather phenomenon formed during a hot day in Rayong province on February 27.

But customers waiting for their orders were fascinated that the winds turned into a twister.

CCTV footage shows the smoke-like tornado ripping across the empty road. It reached a height of about 15 ft before disappearing.

The restaurant owner said: ‘We watched what happened in the security camera. It was the first time I had seen one.'

Dust devil tornadoes are types of whirlwinds that form when the sun heats a patch of land and the air above becomes warmer and rises quickly.

Cooler air then moves into the low-pressure gap left by the rising warm air. The new drafts of cooler air also heat up and rise and the cycle continues, picking up dust and debris and making the spiral visible.

They are not as dangerous as supercell tornadoes, which can cause severe damage.