A Strange Cloud with a Rare Shape resembling a Flying Saucer Captivates Attention After Appearing in Bursa, Turkey.
The nearly circular, lens-shaped cloud maintained its unusual shape for about an hour on the morning of January 19 in the sky over Bursa, located in northwestern Turkey, as reported by the Guardian on January 21.
Several social media users captured this rare phenomenon on their phones. The unusual cloud appeared at sunrise and drew significant attention due to its shape resembling a flying saucer with a large hole in the center.
“#An unusual dawn in Turkey this morning. Here’s footage of a rare natural phenomenon called a #UFO lens-shaped cloud or foehn cloud,” one social media enthusiast wrote in a post sharing images and videos of the UFO cloud.
“A magnificent lens-shaped cloud appeared in the sky over Bursa, Turkey this morning,” another user marveled.
A lens-shaped cloud resembling a UFO appeared on the morning of January 19 in the sky over Bursa, northwestern Turkey. (Photo: @ByronJWalker)
Videos and images of the strange cloud quickly spread around the world, garnering explosive attention. Hundreds of social media users commented that the cloud looked like a UFO.
Major newspapers and news agencies worldwide, such as the Guardian, BBC, and CNN, published videos of this extraordinary cloud under the headline “Strange UFO-like Cloud Hovers Over the Sky in Turkey.”
However, Turkey’s State Meteorological Service explained that this rare phenomenon is simply a “lens-shaped cloud.”
According to the BBC, lens-shaped clouds are known for their saucer-like curved shape. They are typically found at altitudes of 2,000 to 5,000 meters.
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Lens-shaped clouds usually form in areas where moist air flows over mountains. The moving air creates large-scale standing wave patterns in the direction of the wind. If the temperature at the top of the wave drops to the dew point, the moisture in the air condenses to form a lens-shaped cloud. These clouds typically form in winter, but this phenomenon can also be observed at other times of the year. This type of cloud may also indicate rain the following day or a more humid atmosphere before an impending storm. |
In the case of Bursa, a cold air mass was moving into western Turkey on January 19. Bursa is located at the foot of a mountain range, which partly explains why the UFO-like cloud phenomenon was observed.
