A dust devil tornado formed during a football match before uprooting a tent where the managers were standing.

Worried supporters noticed the vortex gathering pace as it picked up dust from the dry sports pitch in Sisaket province, northeast Thailand, on Wednesday afternoon.

Within seconds it had gathered dust and formed the terrifying dark twister shape as it swirled towards the makeshift stand.

Footage shows how the mini tornado sucked the parasol in the air and spun it around several times before it was dumped near the centre circle on the field of play.

The referee had to dodge the flying marque as frightened football players and fans ran away.

Shocked onlooker Sansern kept his cool to record the powerful weather phenomenon, which is a type of supercell tornado.

He said: 'I've never been at a football match where a tornado has stopped the game. Everyone was panicking.'

Sansern added: 'It was a strange kind of pitch invader.'

The two teams at the district sports competition resumed the match once the gazebo tent had been cleared from the field.

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.