A cloud shaped like a "twister" was spotted in the sky near Merseyside.
Paul Rimmer managed to capture photos of the strange formation. He said he took them near the Windmill Animal Farm on Fish Lane in Burscough on Monday at around 4.50pm.
He said he kept an eye on the cloud after he noticed the "strange protrusion" at its edge. Paul said he could see it "getting bigger" and believed the way it was forming it could have been a "small tornado".
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Speaking to the ECHO, Paul said: "[The photo] was taken from near Windmill Animal Farm looking towards Burscough. I just noticed this strange protrusion at the edge of the cloud so kept an eye on it.
"I could see it getting a bit bigger and the way it was forming, it could have been a small tornado. I think it was spinning but only slowly. It did get a little bigger than my last photo and then just vanished up into the cloud in a second or two."
Photos taken by Paul show a funnel-shaped cloud coming out of one large, grey cloud over fields. He shared the images on a local Facebook page, where other people said they saw the same thing.
One person said: "Yes I seen it out my back door thought a twister was on its way." Other people said following the strange formation it then "poured with rain."
One other resident suggested it was a "funnel cloud". The Met Office said funnel clouds or 'tuba' are extending, spinning fingers of cloud that reach towards the ground, but never touch it.
These clouds are almost always the "host cloud" from which tuba form. This means heavy rain, hail, thunder and lightning can all be expected. On Monday, thunderstorms were predicted in the area and people faced heavy rain.
Meteorologists said when these clouds do reach the ground they become a tornado. The UK sees around 30-35 tornadoes each year, according to the Met Office.
However, meteorologists said it is "very rare that are they strong enough to cause any significant damage".
