A gigantic dust devil tore through a dirt field next to a road in Thailand.

Footage shows the enormous weather phenomenon that reached at least 50ft-high in Nonthaburi province on April 5.

At the height of its power, the whirlwind occupied a diameter of 20ft. It blew soil and other debris, resembling a scene in a post-apocalyptic film.

Astonished residents watched as the twister grew stronger from the other side of the road before it vanished.

Local Kittisak Ritthiwongchak said: ‘It was the first time we have seen one. I thought it would grow bigger so I was preparing to leave but then it disappeared.'

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.