Bay of Plenty residents were treated to a jaw-dropping sight this evening as a cold southerly set in over the eastern North Island region.
No, it wasn't snow but rather strange-looking UFO-like clouds - also known as lenticular clouds.
The lens-shaped wave clouds form when the air is stable and
winds blow across hills or mountains from the same direction at different heights.
WeatherWatch.co.nz says fading southerly conditions and cooling temperatures helped produce the cloud, which dumbfounded some locals.
Lenticular clouds are common over parts of Canterbury because of the Southern Alps and nor'westers connecting.
