This is the dramatic moment pupils fled as a dust devil tornado tore through a school field.

Schoolchildren and their teachers, who were participating in a scout camp, witnessed the sandy vortex whirling next to the school building in Ubon Ratchathani, Thailand, on January 29.

The students were in the middle of a cooking activity when the tornado suddenly formed near the goalpost, sending their cooking equipment flying in the strong gusts of wind.

Panicked scouts can be seen screaming and running away from the whirlwind, while others and their teachers scramble to retrieve cooking utensils, pans, pots, stoves, and mats swept away by the phenomenon.

No injuries were reported from the incident.

Dust devil tornadoes are types of whirlwinds that form when the sun heats a patch of land and the air above becomes warmer and rises 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.