A dust devil tornado whipped up dirt as parkgoers fled in Japan.

Footage shows the sand vortex whirling in Yoyogi Park in Shibuya, Tokyo, on the afternoon of February 23. The tornado briefly swirled and dissipated moments later.

Another clip, filmed in Mizumoto Park in Katsushika on the same day, captures a similar weather phenomenon.

Filmer Simizu Rin can be heard chuckling as dogs approach the dust.

Simizu said: 'I laughed, but it was scary. A tornado occurred around 2:53 pm today!'

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.