The clouds were spotted in northern parts of the country earlier this week
Parts of the UK were treated to an uncommon phenomenon this week as displays of clouds shaped like UFOs formed across the sky. The clouds are created when strong winds blow over a mountain range or hill. Some also refer to them as pancake clouds, because they sometimes appear flat and stacked.
The actual name for the flying-saucer shaped clouds is ‘lenticular clouds’. The clouds appear on top of the bounced air and look like they are stacked on top of each other. The Met Office have explained the strange looking clouds and given further detail for how they are formed.
The weather agency say: “These lens-shaped orographic wave clouds form when the air is stable and winds blow across hills and mountains from the same or similar direction at different heights through the troposphere.
“They are quite unusual in the British Isles but do occasionally occur. They look a lot like the traditional shape of flying saucers in science fiction, and real lenticular clouds are believed to be one of the most common explanations for UFO sightings across the world.”
Describing how they are formed, the Met Office added: “When air blows across a mountain range, in certain circumstances, it can set up a train of large standing waves in the air downstream, rather like ripples forming in a river when water flows over an obstruction.
“If there is enough moisture in the air, the rising motion of the wave will cause water vapour to condense, forming the unique appearance of lenticular clouds.”
The clouds were spotted in northern parts of the country earlier this week, over the likes of Gateshead, Newcastle, Cumbria and Scotland. BBC advise that with high pressure still close by and a brisk wind likely in the north and west of the UK it may be possible to see more of these stunning clouds over the weekend.
