A mile-long swarm of flying ants has been picked up on a weather radar on the UK’s south coast – with more expected in the coming days.

The insects, which look similar to rainfall on radars, were detected by the Met Office on Friday, as people reported sightings on social media.

The day was dubbed “flying ant day”.

The forecaster said the winged insects are usually picked up at this time of the year over the space of about a week.

“Every year around this time we do pick them up on the rain radar. At the moment it’s harder to tell because we’ve got so many showers and the ants look like showers,” Simon Partridge, a Met Office forecaster, said.

“They can be seen several miles across. On Friday it was about a mile.

“It’s generally the southern parts of the UK where we tend to notice it most. When we do get the rain, they don’t fly as much.”

He said no swarms had been picked up on Saturday due to wetter weather.

Read more:
Big sporting events hit by rain as thunderstorm warning in place
Hottest June ever in UK
Satellite images show smoke from Canada wildfires across Britain

Be the first to get Breaking News

Install the Sky News app for free

Flying ants are spotted when males and new queens leave the nest to mate, with many colonies doing so on the same day.

They can be seen on as many as 96% of days between June and September, according to the Royal Society of Biology.

Related posts:

Zookeeper in ‘serious condition’ after being bitten in the face by camel Message in a bottle from 2018 found by teen after travelling 2,000 miles Young North Koreans ordered to stop speaking, dressing and dancing like South Koreans – or else Slow mooving traffic as cow wanders on to the M6 motorway Religious artwork removed after local priest and businessman found among holy images Otters killing expensive pet fish in garden ponds, police warn Flamingos form friendship groups based on their personalities – study 4,500-year-old chamber discovered in Great Pyramid – but specialists are puzzled over its function Premature triplets set world records after ‘traumatic’ birth Osprey makes ‘remarkable’ transatlantic journey to Barbados ‘Distant ancestor’ to pizza shown in 2,000-year-old painting – but toppings are a little different African huntsman spider found in Edinburgh