A waterspout or tornado on water surface has caused more sensation than scare, as quite some local Yangpu residents in south China's Hainan Province have taken their smart phones to record this rare-to-capture natural phenomenon on Thursday.

The waterspout has lasted for about three minutes with a wind velocity of 25 meters per second.

Maritime authorities have reported no property damage though full assessment is still underway.

Waterspouts are commonly referred to as tornadoes over water. They are caused by a convection of cold and warm air flows converging over the area.

Waterspouts are known in China as "dragon sucking water". The phrase vividly depicts the phenomenon as an imaginary dragon sucking up water from the sea.