An enormous funnel cloud sparked panic after lingering in the sky for almost an hour in the Philippines.

Footage shows the funnel-shaped weather phenomenon extending from the dark clouds while its tail stretched through the air in Cavite province on June 21.

Locals watched the twister expand while fearing that it would reach their homes.

Fortunately, the vortex stayed suspended in the sky and did not touch the ground despite its massive size.

Resident Miles Mialen said: ‘We didn't know what to do. Some of my neighbours talked about fleeing for their safety but we did not want to panic. It was so scary.'

The weather disturbance reportedly lasted for almost an hour but did not leave any damage in the area. It was followed by a thunderstorm as extreme weather was felt in nearby cities including the capital Manila.

Just last month, 84 families or 357 individuals lost their homes when a tornado hit their village in the same province. No one was hurt but the affected families were still saying at temporary shelters provided by the government as their homes were wrecked after the incident.

The twister that hit the area was actually a funnel cloud, which could evolve into a tornado. It is a dark funnel that extends from storm clouds but does not touch the ground. Once it hits lands, then it becomes a tornado.