This Water Tornado Almost Caused A Devastating Natural Disaster In Malaysia

On Monday, April 1st, the citizens of Penang, a coastal city in Malaysia, had the scare of their lives. An immense water tornado, or waterspout, nearly ravaged the entirety of the coastline. The natural phenomenon in the video above does have a scientific explanation, despite how unreal the images may seem.

A waterspout is a mix of rotating air and water. It’s an extremely rare occurrence that takes place when cold air passes above hot water. Waterspouts, however, are generally less dangerous than normal tornadoes, as they disappear once they hit dry land.

The inhabitants of Penang had time to film this incredible phenomenon, since the waterspout remained active for over 40 minutes—resulting in images that look like they came straight from a sci-fi film. For the more fearful among you, never fear: this kind of thing doesn’t just happen when someone opens the bathroom door!

Take a look at the video above to see the terrifying footage...