A stunning waterspout tornado hovered over islands in the Philippines.

Footage shows the funnel-shaped weather phenomenon extending from a mass of storm clouds that drifted above beach islands in Puerto Galera on July 5.

A family eating at a hut from a cliff overlooking the sea spotted the weather phenomenon.

Heavy downpours could also be seen falling from some areas of the large cloud mass into the sea.

Mother Ethel De Claro said: ‘We saw the tornado and were all amazed. We did not worry about it reaching our hut because it was too far.'

Two types of tornadoes 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.