There was speculation as to whether they were UFOs or even the Beluga from space but last Saturday’s cloud formation over Chester got everyone talking on social media.

Scores of people tweeted or posted photographs to our Facebook page of the beautiful shapes in the blue sky over the city on the unseasonably warm day.

Known as lenticular clouds, or altocumulus standing lenticularis, they are lens-shaped clouds that form at high altitudes.

They are are mostly seen near large mountainous areas such as the Himalayas and Rocky Mountains and it is very rare to see them in the UK.

Here is a link to our second gallery and third gallery of photographs.