This is the spectacular moment a waterspout was seen off the coast of the Philippines yesterday on July 21.

Onlookers watched from the beach as long columns of clouds formed over the sea in Batangas City.

Bien Ander, who owns a small food shop by the beach, said that the waterspout did not last long but brought strong winds in their village.

He said: "I was amazed to see but some of my customers were scared because they thought it would bring more damage but it was gone after a few minutes."

The waterspout was also spotted by the crew of a boat sailing the Batangas Bay.

Captain Harold Janda said: "It brought some rain after dissipating and we had to slow down to avoid it just for safety."

Waterspouts 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.