RAS LAFFAN, Qatar – A large tornado swept through the desert in Qatar this week as the country hosts the 2022 World Cup.
Video recorded Wednesday near the coastal city of Ras Laffan, about 50 miles north of the capital of Doha, showed an enormous twister of the so-called “stovepipe” variety stirring up large amounts of dust as it spun through the desert landscape.
The Qatar Meteorology Department tweeted a radar image showing strong thunderstorms moving along the coast about the time the video was recorded.
Several other videos tweeted by the QMD on Wednesday showed a similar twister touching down in the same area, along with hail.
Qatar does see tornadoes from time to time, but outbreaks appear to be rare.
WORLD CUP 2022: WHY WEATHER PLAYED A ROLE IN THE SHIFT OF THE SOCCER SCHEDULE
The country has been hosting the World Cup since the end of November. The tournament is approaching its end, with quarterfinal matches set to begin Friday as Croatia faces Brazil and the Netherlands meets Argentina. You can watch all the action on FOX.