A terrifying waterspout tornado towered over buildings shortly before a rainstorm hit Malaysia on March 26.

The gloomy clouds appeared over factories in the coastal city of Kuantan in Pahang state before dissipating.

Onlooker Rosidi Taib who captured the video said: ‘I heard loud noises outside and I was shocked when I saw the tornado. It was my first time ever. It looked like an elephant trunk.’

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.

Scientists believe they are formed when pockets of warm air near the water surface rise suddenly. Cooler air is then sucked into the low-pressure air, which picks up water and rises towards the clouds in a rotating motion.