A VIDEO has appeared on social media showing a tornado hitting Scotland.

The footage, shared on Twitter, shows clouds forming in a swirling cone-like shape in the distance.

The shape can be seen moving around until the bottom disperses into the air.

Sharing the clip, Lisa Millar tweeted: "Never seen a tornado before in Midlothian."

She said the event occurred at 3.30pm on Tuesday.

The Met Office confirmed the video did show a tornado.

It tweeted: "Great example of a #WaterSpout from a little earlier - these are a type of tornado that form over open water."

Other videos popped up on social media, showing the weather phenomenon from different angles.

One Scot tweeted: "Tornado in Scotland. Not your average Tuesday afternoon."

Another Scot shared the view from his house, saying: "Tornado casually passing my window in Midlothian."

A Met Office spokesman said: “With a belt of heavy rain and thunderstorms passing over central Scotland today, the atmospheric conditions were right for the formation of tornadoes or waterspouts, over bodies of water.

“Technically, a system has to touch the surface to be classified as a tornado or waterspout, any which don’t are referred to as funnel clouds.”