This is the spectacular moment twin waterspout tornadoes intersected off the coast of Italy.

Dramatic footage shows the pair of ocean twisters extending from ominous clouds to the waters of the Po River Delta, appearing to merge as strong winds drove them on Sunday, August 3.

Authorities advised anyone encountering a waterspout to move away from it at a 90-degree angle to its path, a safety measure to avoid the potentially hazardous funnel.

The European Severe Weather Database reports that waterspouts are observed approximately 500 times each year across the continent.

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.