Sand 'tornado' terrifies little nippers on Gold Coast beach

A sand “tornado” has sent hundreds of terrified nippers running and ducking for cover on a Tweed Coast beach.

The crowd of 250 nippers were taking part in Christmas games at Kingscliff when a storm front suddenly rolled in, turning the sky black.

Video filmed by Cudgen Head SLSC U9s coach Marty Fairweather shows the sand whipping up and spinning around in a tornado formation as the kids in a sea of pink lycra scream and run away.

“They’d called the games off and we were watching the storm move up the coast and then all of a sudden the sand spun up and went straight for the kids,” Mr Fairweather told the Gold Coast Bulletin.

“It was pretty crazy, the kids were running everywhere saying it was a mini tornado.”

Cudgen SLSC nipper club president Nigel Hughes said everyone on the beach could feel the storm coming in.

“It was just a big black storm, we could feel the wind move up the coast,” Mr Hughes said.

“And then the vortex came right through the nippers, they turned and ran.”