This is the terrifying moment a cataclysmic dust devil tornado whipped up dirt as a farmer ploughed their field.

Footage shows the vortex spinning wildly as it tossed soil through the air, blocking the tractor's path in Chaiyaphum Province, Thailand, on January 22.

The farmer and his pet dog stopped and watched as the extreme weather phenomenon moved away from them across the field.

Neither of them were hurt and no crops were damaged, as the land was still being prepared for planting.

The farm worker Nattawut said: 'I felt the strong wind on my body and noticed the soil being flung around. I thought to myself 'a tornado is coming'.

'The first thing I did was stop the tractor because I didn't want to drive closer to the torando. It was so big, I was worried it would hit me and my dog, so I was relieved when it missed u.'

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.