This is the moment a dust devil formed in front of shocked drivers in a parking lot in Arkansas.

The violent rotating column of wind gathered dust and trash along the way as it appeared to grow bigger in Fort Smith on June 17.

Footage shows how it whipped across the tarmac just inches away from people.

Onlooker Corey Prody said: 'I was curious since it was my first time seeing one so I went closer to have a look. The dust devil was small but it was quite strong.'

Corey stood from a safe distance as he filmed the weather phenomenon while taking a few steps back whenever the wind comes near him.

It dissipated after almost five minutes without leaving any damage.

Dust devils are a type of whirlwind tornado 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, rise and the cycle continues, picking up dust and debris making the spiral visible as it rises skywards.