This is the dramatic moment a waterspout forms over the sea off Naha Airport in Japan.

Footage shows a swirling column extending from the sky near the airport in Okinawa on Wednesday afternoon.

The filmer then zoomed out to capture a parked aeroplane in the foreground.

The Japan Meteorological Agency issued a tornado warning for the Okinawa main island area at 4:30 pm local time after the vortex was observed.

Officials advised residents to take precautions, including seeking shelter if they notice signs of approaching cumulonimbus clouds, such as lightning or sudden shifts in wind patterns.

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.