This is the terrifying moment a powerful dust devil tornado tore through a car park in Oman.

The twister stretched some 50ft in the air as it gathered sand around the property in Nizwa City on January 27.

Footage shows the weather phenomenon ripping across the field on a hot day.

Workers who were resting at that time were shocked to see it grow even bigger and whirl around the parked trucks and cars.

Onlooker Denis Abueno said: ‘We were starting to worry when the dust devil grew. We were thinking of informing someone but then it disappeared.'

The dust devil didn't leave damage or casualty and was gone within two minutes.

Dust devil tornadoes are types of whirlwinds 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 and rise and the cycle continues, picking up dust and debris and making the spiral visible.

They are not as dangerous as supercell tornadoes, which can cause severe damage.