This is the moment a dust devil tornado zipped through a coach park.

Ms Xie and other locals witnessed the small vortex whirling around the ground in Sichuan, China, on August 13.

Footage shows the harmless tornado gradually moving through the area, with dust and sand being gathered by the whirlwind. It then slowly disappeared.

Dust devil tornadoes are a type of whirlwind that forms when the sun heats a patch of land, causing the air above to become warmer and rise 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.