Footage of shelf cloud over Durdle Door during thunderstorm

The mesmerising footage was captured at Durdle Door by Andy Lyons.

Posting on social media, Andy said: “Sadly the lightning was all wrapped up in the rain but I think this cloud structure trumps the lightning.”

Andy said he got “soaked” while witnessing the spectacle but described it as “so worth it”.

The shelf cloud as captured by Andy Lyons at Durdle Door

The shelf cloud was witnessed by residents across Dorset including Poole and Weymouth as it ushered in a spectacular thunderstorm which brought with it frequent lightning and torrential rain.

Shelf clouds, or arcus cloud, are described by the Met Office as “spectacular low-level, long and thin clouds associated with powerful thunderstorms.”

Read more: Dramatic thunderstorm brings unusual shelf cloud, lightning and rain to Dorset

The Met Office says they are sometimes seen beneath cumulonimbus clouds.

They have a base height of up to 6500ft and appear wedge shaped or can be seen as a long rolling horizontal column.

According to the Met Office, shelf clouds form when a “cold downdraft from a cumulonimbus cloud reaches the ground, the cold air may spread rapidly along the ground, pushing existing warm moist air upwards.

“As this air rises, water vapour condenses into the patterns associated with Arcus clouds. The new cloud may roll if it experiences different wind directions above and below.”

As previously reported, the Met Office had issued a yellow weather alert for Bournemouth, Christchurch, Poole and the rest of the county.

It was in force from 2pm on Monday until the early hours of this morning.

No other weather warnings are currently in place but thunder has been forecast for today and tomorrow.