This is the dramatic moment a group of fearless schoolchildren were seen playing in a dust devil as it swept across a field.

Khusnur spotted the excited schoolboys running towards the swirling column of sand at Sembalun Bumbung Field in West Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia.

Footage shows the unfazed youngsters gleefully chasing the small whirlwind as it spun across the open area on October 18.

Khusnur said: 'The wind appeared suddenly, even though the weather was sunny. The children were happy and played right at the centre of the vortex. They didn't seem afraid at all, they even welcomed it cheerfully.'

Witnesses said the dust devil lasted for several minutes before gradually dissipating.

No one was hurt during the freak weather phenomenon.

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.