This is the spectacular moment a double waterspout tornado formed during a rainstorm in Palm Beach, Florida.

Residents and tourists watched in awe as the rare tandem vortexes stretched to the clouds as they swirled on the horizon on August 21.

Footage shows the two sea tornadoes emerging from a large, ominous cloud over the ocean. Both can be seen moving closer to each other before one evaporates into thin air.

The National Weather Service advised anyone encountering a waterspout to move away from it at a 90-degree angle to its path, a safety measure to avoid the potentially hazardous funnel.

A local meteorologist said: 'While waterspouts are generally weaker than tornadoes, they can still cause damage to vessels and structures near the coast. It's crucial for everyone to know what to do if they encounter one.'

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.