Strange clouds floating over County Durham confuse residents

The clouds, which were seen on Thursday (September 19), floated over Darlington, Spennymoor, Bishop Auckland, with others reporting to have also seen the clouds in Newton Aycliffe and Peterlee.

The sky above County Durham (Image: Lynette Wazza Hurst) Resembling large circles in the sky, some believed them to be trails left by planes, while others had several humorous guesses, including UFOs and '5G rays'. 

One resident from Spennymoor said: "I saw it in Middlestone Moor this morning- thought it was just off a light aircraft flying around."

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Meanwhile, some people thought they were chemical trails, with others believing the RAF jets were responsible for them.

But what was the actual cause of the strange patterns in the sky? 

According to the Met Office, 'Lenticular Clouds' were over the skies of the region today.

What are lenticular clouds?

These strange, unnatural looking clouds sometimes form downwind of hills or mountains. 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.

However, that wasn't the only cause of what was over the skies. 

What else has caused the 'clouds' in the sky? 

According to the RAF, several low flying exercises were taking place from both RAF Leeming and Teesside Airport today.