A Co Antrim homeowner has told of the bizarre moment she was outside enjoying her lunch when a whirlwind spun through her garden.
Helen Kennedy spotted the natural phenomenon – called a hay devil or dust devil – in Cullybackey in County Antrim on Saturday afternoon as the region basked in a heatwave and dry spell.
They are more common in hot weather as the sun heats the ground and makes the air rise. Dust devils are formed when hot air near the warm ground rises quickly through cooler air above it. This creates an updraft and if the air is still the air rotates rapidly and a column of hot air is stretched vertically.
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The 64-year-old receptionist said: "We were having lunch outside on the patio, my husband shouted out, 'Wow, look at that' and I turned round and saw the hay rise into the sky in a swirl so I got my phone and filmed it.
"I just stood there in absolute amazement as I filmed and could not believe my eyes. Never in my life had I witnessed anything like this before.
"The dogs didn't know what was going on. It made my day and was amazing to watch."
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