A towering waterspout tornado ripped through coastal homes in Indonesia.

Footage shows the massive rotating vortex peeling off roofs of houses as it hit land in South Sulawesi on January 27.

The weather phenomenon formed 50ft (15m) away from the shore before pummeling through dozens of houses.

Five homes were damaged but no one was reported hurt.

Amson Padolo, the leader of the South Sulawesi Provincial Disaster Management Agency, said: 'The strong tornado damaged houses in Sorowako village. A ferry was almost hit when it was still forming in the water.

'One boat carrying passengers survived. They were lucky.'

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.