This is the dramatic moment a whirlwind ripped through a football game - sending terrified players fleeing for safety.

Footage shows the dust devil tornado spinning on the pitch during a match at a school in Mukdahan, Thailand, on February 13.

The vortex, which had started off as a light breeze, gradually grew stronger, kicking up dust, leaves, and umbrellas into the air as terrified parents and schoolchildren fled.

The whirlwind soon dissipated with no one injured.

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.