Strange clouds appear over Northern Ireland

The clouds were captured on camera just outside Armagh by Rebecca Glass
The clouds were captured on camera just outside Armagh by Rebecca Glass.

Strange clouds in the skies above Northern Ireland have caused a stir.

Pictures were taken of the clouds in parts of Armagh on Tuesday afternoon.

They are mammatus clouds, which according to the Met Office are some of the most unusual and distinctive clouds formations.

They appear as a series of bulges or pouches emerging from the base of a cloud.

Their shape can vary widely from the classic protruding shape, to a more elongated tube hanging from the cloud above.

And they can signal potential thunderstorms, hail, heavy rain and lightning.

Finn Cunningham captured the clouds above Portadown.

"Mammatus comes from the Latin mamma which translates to 'udder' or 'breast'," the Met Office explains.

"Their striking appearance is most visible when the sun is low in the sky and their pouches are framed by the sunlight."