AN UNUSUAL cloud formation has been spotted in skies above Bournemouth this afternoon.

The thicker white clouds appear to be sitting low in the sky beneath a less dense patch, which has taken on an eerie spherical shape.

Meteorologist Dr Richard Wild, from Weathernet, said the lenticular clouds in the picture are often mistaken for UFO’s.

“The ones at the front are Towering Cumulus Clouds; however the ones in the background look like Altocumulus Lenticularis,” he added.

“These are stationary lens-shaped clouds or saucers that normally form in perpendicular alignment to the wind direction.

“They normally form on the downside of hills and mountains due to stable moist air flowing over mountains and hills creating a wave effect. If the temperature at the crest of the wave drops to the dew point, moisture in the air may condense to form these clouds.

“They also form by strong upper winds with association with stable air rising resulting in noticeable turbulence of the upper atmosphere.”