GEORGE TOWN (THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK) - Netizens had a field day taking pictures and videos and uploading them on social media after a waterspout appeared on the Penang Bridge.

The phenomenon occurred at about 6pm on Tuesday.

There was also a 16-second video being circulated on Facebook with one netizen describing it as "a tornado" and an act of God.

"It's a miracle and act of God when we have such a phenomenon like a tornado," he said.

A waterspout is a rotating column of water formed by a whirlwind occurring over water during bad weather.

The waterspout occurred during a downpour that caused flash floods in several low-lying areas in the island and the mainland.