This is the terrifying moment a waterspout tornado swirled off the coast of Thai island Phuket.

Footage shows the twister touching down on choppy seas near Patong Beach this morning.

Tourists fled the shore as the whirling column stretched from a blanket of dark storm clouds. The vortex dissipated after around 10 minutes, followed by a heavy downpour.

Local Nicky Rueangrud said: 'It looked like two tornadoes were forming. I filmed this one after the other disappeared. It lasted about 10 minutes before slowly fading away amid overcast weather and strong winds.'

The Thai Meteorological Department forecasted unstable weather conditions with the possibility of similar storms forming in the coastal areas of southern Thailand.

The department urged residents to monitor news and weather warnings.

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.