This is the spectacular moment clouds surged over mountains like a giant waterfall.

Breathtaking time-lapse footage shows the thick cloud formation blanketing the peaks before cascading down the slopes in Benguet, the Philippines.

The rolling mist mimics the movement of falling water as it pours over the ridges and dissipates into the valley below on December 19.

This phenomenon is called an orographic cloud waterfall. It occurs when moist air cools and condenses into dense clouds as it is forced over a mountain peak. Driven by wind and gravity, the mist 'overflows' the ridge and cascades down the leeward slope like a liquid.

As the clouds descend, they often vanish mid-air due to adiabatic warming, which turns the droplets back into invisible vapour.