This is the terrifying moment a waterspout tornado was seen swirling off the coast of Phuket.

Footage shows the twister touching down at sea, sparking alarm among tourists who visited the holiday island hoping for sunnier climes on May 30.

An onlooker said: 'The tornado was quite large. Luckily, it formed far away from the boat pier and the island.'

Fishermen and tour boats were warned not to set sail during the storm.

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.