THIS is the apocalyptic moment a towering waterspout tornado crashes into a packed out beach.

Footage of the terrifying phenomenon shows it hurtling towards shocked sunbathers and sending them fleeing to safety as chairs, jet skis and tables get thrown into the air.

The moment a terrifying waterspout smashed into a beach in ItalyCredit: La Repubblica

Bins, jet skis and deck chairs were all tossed around following the waterspoutCredit: La Repubblica

Beachgoers were seen soaked through after the weather phenomenon hitCredit: La Repubblica

A beachgoer watches the waterspout form in the distanceCredit: www.inmeteo.net

The huge waterspout hit the Adriatic coast in Salento earlier today causing mass panic among beachgoers on the San Cataldo, Torre Specchia and San Foca marinas.

Video footage of the waterspout forming shows it surging from under the clouds and spinning in a frenzy towards the San Foca coast.

A growing cloud of thick vapour also formed underneath the tornado-like weather as it gathered momentum in the sea.

The powerful spout then collides with the beach – leaving it trashed and the bathers escape.

The aftermath of the chaotic storm showed how bins, deckchairs and umbrellas had been tossed across the beach by the blast.

People can be seen out-of-breath and soaked through by the side of a road sitting above the beachfront.

They managed to flee from the tornado spout by running up some steps leading to the beach.

The flooded pavement is covered in dirt that had been washed away by the waterspout.

No one was injured in the blustery melee.

Weather forecasts have given out even more severe warnings for tonight and across the weekend.

Waterspouts are a rare occurrence but they have struck several coastlines in recent years.

Back in May, a waterspout battered a houseboat in Cork, Ireland leaving it damaged.

The resident – who was watching the TV on the converted 60-year-old former RNLI boat called The Lilly Wainwright – thought a tornado bearing down on him.

Brits abroad also came face-to-face with the hazardous weather in Cyprus after a huge water spout was spotted in the water – sending sunbeds flying.

The spout was spotted at the holiday resort of Ayia Napa, popular with UK holidaymakers.

Some tourists even thought it was a tornado, with a video showing the huge spout tearing across the beach.

In another video, the spout in the water landed on the sand and threw some of the beach furniture around.

In 2018, tourists were left stunned by a rare quadruple waterspout while on holiday in Thailand.

Locals and holidaymakers gathered on the beach in Koh Lipe, southern Thailand during the rare incident.

Four large cyclones could then be seen twisting down from the sky and swirling into into the ocean, with the rare weather phenomenon stunning holidaymakers in the area.

The apocalyptic tornado formed off the Adriatic coastCredit: La Repubblica