BILLIONS of flying ants swarming over the south of England formed clouds so big they showed up as rain showers on weather radars.

The Met Office shared the astonishing pictures of the swarms today appearing as rain as they flew into the sky.

3 Ant swarms are so big they are showing up on satellite images Credit: Met Office

The swarm of insects hit the counties of Hampshire, West Sussex and Dorset and were captured on the Met Office's radar.

It was described as "insect clutter" - following on from Flying Ant Day yesterday, where the ants leave their nests across the country.

Male and female ants head out of their nests in a bid to look for other ants to mate with.

Queen ants emerge from the nest to begin their nuptial flight with the male ants usually flying alongside - and a swarm forms.

A Met Office spokesperson said the ants showed up on their image as a showers of rain because "the radar thinks the beams are hitting raindrops not ants".

BBC weather presenter Simon King tweeted an image of what he described as the "incredible" phenomenon earlier.

He posted: "Flying ants!!! Swarms of them flying into the sky in S Eng are being picked up as rain on the radar image this morning."

Mr King said it was the biggest swarm of insects he had seen in the UK.

FLYING ANT DAY The flying ant season usually happens in July, lasting up to two weeks. It's thought that the phenomenon is provoked by wet weather followed by hot, humid conditions - but boffins have suggested it might not be as predictable as first thought. Flying Ant Day occurs when the ants sprout their wings and head off on what's known as a "nuptial flight". During this time, the insects look around to find a mate, before landing to start a new colony. Queen ants emerge from the nest to begin their nuptial flight with the male ants usually flying alongside. The most common type of wflying ant is the black garden variety (the Lasius niger), hose nests have a single queen and anything from 5,000 to 15,000 workers.

He told the BBC: "We knew it was dry in the south of England, and yet the radar was showing this very light precipitation across the south.

"You can tell it's not rainfall because it has that eerie look to it. It doesn't quite match what rainfall looks like.

"For it to actually to appear on the radar imagery, that's something certainly incredible, and I just feel sorry for all the people who have to experience those flying ants."

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Flying ants are mostly harmless to humans, but they do have a strange effect on seagulls who can appear drunk after eating a few due to formic acid they expel.

A flying ant day usually occurs when a spell of wet weather is followed by hot humid weather.

Although referred to as a day, the mating ritual can last for several weeks in high summer. By the end, billions of ants will have taken to the skies.

3 Flying ants look around to find a mate, before landing to start a new colony Credit: @pollybirkbeck/ Twitter

3 The Met Office released the astonishing images of the ants swarming Credit: PA:Press Association

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