This is the dramatic moment a lightning strike intersected with a waterspout tornado, forming a terrifying X-shaped cross in the skies over Alabama.

Footage shows the twister swirling over the water off the coast of Fort Morgan on July 30, just as a bolt of lightning flashes nearby, creating a bizarre and striking scene.

No significant damage or injuries were reported.

Lightning forms when storm clouds accumulate electrical charges. Once the imbalance between charged areas in the cloud and the ground, or within the cloud itself, becomes too great, the built-up energy is discharged as a sudden and intense flash known as lightning.

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.