Russian plane flies past three tornadoes during terrifying descent

Passengers on a Russian passenger plane have endured a harrowing landing, flying around three tornadoes as the jet made its descent.

Witnesses on the ground of the seaside town of Sochi filmed as the airliner came in for a landing, with the menacing twisters in the background.

They were three of 12 tornadoes that formed over the Black Sea outside Sochi on Tuesday.

The tornadoes, as well as powerful wind gusts and heavy rain, forced the diversion of nine other flights from the airport, the Sochi Express reports.

Sochi has been dealing with major waterspouts in recent weeks, but none made landfall and no damage has been reported.

The weather has since returned to normal in the city, currently a rainy but mild 21 degrees, with only light breezes.

Sochi was the home of the Winter Olympics in 2014, but in summer is known as a beach destination.