A spectacular waterspout tornado was spotted shimmering in the sunlight as it moved between islands in the Philippines.

The beautiful but terrifying twister was seen swirling near tourist hotspot Coron in Palawan province on July 26. The long and thin funnel-shaped cloud glowed as it was backlit by the sun shining through the dark cloud cover.

Tourist Rafael Garcia said he was island hopping - a form of travel in which people visit several tropical islands in the same day - when he noticed the extreme weather phenomenon.

He said: 'It was mystical. I was in awe. This was the most special part of the day, as it's quite rare to see.'

Waterspout tornadoes 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.

They very rarely damage buildings as they dissipate when they reach land. However, they are dangerous of boats caught in their path or aircraft that fly through them.