A family of six that wanted to enjoy the sunny weather by eating out in the yard had their lunch ruined when snow suddenly collapsed from the roof and fell right on them.

CCTV footage shows the group of five adults and one child sitting around a small table in their family yard in Henan, in central China, on Monday afternoon, February 5.

They had gathered closely and chatted away while getting ready to eat.

But they ended up going hungry after a pile of snow suddenly fell from the nearby roof, landing on their heads and all over the table of food.

Startled, they jumped up from their seats and looked up in confusion. After the initial shock wore off, they began shaking off the snow and slowly retreated with laughter.

The only had who managed to escape the cold surprise was the family cat, who could be seen running from beneath the table seconds before the snow hit.