This is the dramatic moment a giant shelf cloud looms over homes in Argentina.

Footage shows the eerie cloud formation stretching across the horizon as it towers above the neighbourhood in Cordoba on November 15.

Local media reported that a violent storm struck the province over the weekend, causing significant damage, with roofs torn off and trees brought down.

No fatalities were recorded. Authorities have since been working to remove debris blocking the roadways.

Shelf clouds are large, horizontal cloud formations that develop along the leading edge of a storm. They occur when cold, dense air from the storm pushes outwards and undercuts warm air, forcing it to rise and condense into a wide arc of cloud.

They differ from wall clouds, which are smaller, more compact, and form when the base of a supercell or rotating storm lowers closer to the ground.