Drivers and walkers were left staggered after seeing grass appear to levitate due to a rare natural event.

Dramatic photos show clippings of hay being thrown into the air by a dust devil in Sandwich.

The incredible phenomenon was captured by Andy Vilday, who was walking close to Richborough Road, to the north of town.

Mr Vilday said: “I was walking back to Sandwich from Richborough Fort when I saw things going up into the air and then floating slowly down.

“As I got closer I realised it was grass and it was landing on the road. Several cars pulled up and those inside took photos and filmed but then drove off.

“I then heard a noise coming from a field by the road and when I looked in there I saw the dust devil, shooting grass up into the air.

“It appeared three times in that field and then died off. I sent the photos to the Met Office and they confirmed that they were dust devils.”

According to the Met Office, a Dust Devil – also known as a Willy Willy – is an upward-spiralling vortex of air that can vary in height from a few feet to over 1,000.

While they may look similar in appearace to tornadoes, dust devils grow upwards from the ground, rather than down from clouds.

They are also not as powerful, and only last a few minutes because cool air is sucked into the base of the rising vortex, cooling the ground and cutting off its heat supply.