This is the dramatic moment a dust devil tornado ripped through a street in front of terrified residents in Thailand.

Soaring midday temperatures reaching 35 degrees Celsius caused the rare whirlwind weather phenomenon in Sa Kaeo province on Wednesday (June 30).

Terrified locals watched as the long thin spiral of dirt and dust moved rapidly along the ground past cars and shops before it dissipated without causing any damage.

Onlooker Chanoknan Chaem said: ‘I was watching from far away but could feel the wind when it blew past me. I was surprised by how close it was to people.’

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.

This is the dramatic moment a dust devil tornado ripped through street in front of terrified residents in Thailand.

Soaring midday temperatures reaching 35 degrees Celsius caused the rare whirl wind weather phenomenon in Sa Kaeo province on Wednesday (June 30).

Terrified locals watched as the long thin spiral of dirt and dust moved rapidly along the ground past cars and shops before it dissipated without causing any damage.

Onlooker Chanoknan Chaem said: ‘I was watching from far away but could feel the wind when it blew past me. I was surprised by how close it was to people.’

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.