A DUST-DEVIL has been captured on video as it swept across a York nature reserve.

Cheryl Quinn took the video when she was on Clifton Backies last week, as the winds whipped up mown grass into a vortex as it crossed the field.

The video shows her dog watching in puzzled fascination at the phenomenon.

She posted the video on social media, saying: "It was very strange, the dogs were very confused, but it was great to see. Nature at its best, but I wouldn't want to be in the path of a tornado, they are a force not to be messed with, if what I saw yesterday was anything to go by!"

One person commented: "I've not seen this here before, but when I lived in the Arabian Gulf we got them a lot and we called them ‘Sand Devils’ . Indeed they are mini-tornadoes."

Another said: "Aww, look at your dog. Got these a lot on the Canary Islands when I lived there many years ago, they could lift up umbrellas and sunbeds, quite funny at the time. Rare to see them here though, well caught on camera."

A third said: "I think they call them grass devils.It’s when breezes blow into a vortex and loose grass is sucked up and spins in the air like a mini tornado!"

Another said: "In Australia these are called a Willy-Willy and are mini cyclones caused by heat. Never seen one in the UK until now."

The Met Office said dust devils are a weather phenomenon that occurs when the ground gets very hot and strong convection occurs. This causes the hot air to rise rapidly, carrying dust or grass aloft. They only last a few minutes because cool air gets sucked into the base of the updraft, cooling the ground.