A waterspout tornado was seen stretching up to the clouds off the coast of China.

The vortex appeared in the middle of the sea in Haikou, Hainan, on October 27.

Footage shows massive dark clouds gathering over the sea, with strong winds whipping across the water as the towering waterspout whirls around.

The filmer said: 'It was cool, but at the same time, it was terrifying.'

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.