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Storm brewing: Father-of-two Carey Mackinnon, a Coastguard watch manager, took this picture of a tornado-like cloud formation off the coast of West Sussex
* Witnesses described seeing a funnel of cloud over the English Channel

* Coastguards launched a lifeboat, but there was no distress signal

* Seaside town of Selsey hit by tornadoes before, in 1998 and 1986

Dramatic pictures emerged today of a tornado-like cloud formation whirling in the skies off the coast of West Sussex.

Stunned witnesses described seeing the giant funnel of cloud over the English Channel near the seaside town of Selsey around 7.15pm.

Coastguards launched a lifeboat as a precaution, but there was no distress signal.

Twisting cloud formations like those pictured only technically qualify as tornadoes if they make contact with the ground - over sea they are usually called waterspouts.

But despite their name, waterspouts do not suck up water as the water seen in the main funnel cloud is actually water droplets formed by condensation.

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Ominous: Mr Mackinnon, 57, stopped his car to take this picture as he was on his way to the seaside town

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Dramatic: Twisting cloud formations like these only technically qualify as tornadoes if they make contact with the ground
Father-of-two Carey Mackinnon, a Coastguard watch manager, saw the formation.

The 57-year-old said: 'I was driving to Selsey from Chichester to deliver some lights when I saw out of the window a long way in front of me.

'It was an incredible sight, something I've never seen before in England. I've seen them on TV of course, but not here.

'I stopped the car and took some pictures and then drove on to a car park near the lifeboat station to take some more. It really was quite dramatic and the pictures rather belittle it.

'It looked like you could see water being sucked up into it, as if there must have been thousands and thousands of gallons going up.

'I saw a cruise ship going towards it and the people on board that must have had an incredible view.'

Selsey has been hit by tornadoes before. In January 1998 a tornado damaged 1,000 buildings, causing damage estimated at £10 million.

Roofs were ripped off, walls and fences blown over and trees uprooted as the tornado cut a swathe through the town.

The tornado also wrecked the observatory belonging to celebrity astronomer Patrick Moore, who lives in the town.

Selsey was also hit by a tornado in 1986. Then it damaged 200 houses and cut a swathe 70 metres wide.