A huge waterspout tornado weaved between boats near a Thai island.

Footage shows the white mist rising from the surface of the sea until it the column was visibly connected to the clouds above while engulfing two empty vessels in Phang Nga province, Thailand on April 28.

The fishermen from wooden vessels nearby watched from a safe distance as the weather phenomenon took shape and height.

Some of the boats left after two minutes in fears that it would become bigger but the formation dissipated after three minutes.

Onlooker Surapong said: 'The storm sank two boats at the Lo Pho Bay. It was so scary.'

Two types of tornado form at sea - tornadic waterspouts and fair-weather waterspouts. Tornadic waterspouts form from thunderstorms, just like land tornadoes, while fair-weather waterspouts are typically smaller and less powerful without the need for storms.

Both types of waterspout tornadoes are created when there is a strong difference in air pressure between the surface of the water and the air above it. This difference in pressure creates an updraft, which draws air from the surface of the water into the atmosphere. As the air rises, it cools and condenses, forming a cloud. The cloud can then rotate, forming a waterspout.

It is rare for waterspouts to cause severe damage. However, in August 2023 two tourists were killed and six injured when a waterspout tornado hit their boat on an estuary river in Phetchaburi, southern Thailand.