Dazzling photos of rare “rainbow clouds” in the skies have brought "tears of joy" to onlookers.

One emotional snapper spotted the multi-coloured lights and captured them from her front garden in Princes Charles Avenue, Minster on Sheppey.

They have also been spotted by residents out walking along the promenade between Herne Bay and Whitstable, and in Maidstone this evening.

Krystal Sheena Pearce first saw the phenomenon in Sheerness shortly after 4pm and said they were still swirling after 4.30pm.

She says she became starstruck immediately after seeing the sky, and called for her family to join her in witnessing them.

The 37-year-old explained: "There are two things on my bucket list - a helicopter ride and seeing lights in the sky like this.

"I jumped out my car and screamed to my mum and daughter as soon as I saw them.

"They and the neighbours came running out because I was shouting so loudly.

"We all stood in the road and watched it pass for ages.

"It started out green at first, then half of the sky went red and the other half blue.

"There's also some pink and purple too and all these colours are just swirling everywhere.

"The clouds were moving really fast when they first came out and were moving like an angel.

"It's just made me gobsmacked, brought me tears of joy and has given me hope now for the future."

The colours are believed to be caused by nacreous clouds - something the Met Office describe as "rare and very high clouds, known mainly for the coloured light they reflect after sunset and before sunrise.

"The colours are reminiscent of the colours which reflect from a thin layer of oil on top of water - an effect known as iridescence.

"Nacreous clouds form in the lower stratosphere over polar regions when the sun is just below the horizon.

"The ice particles that form nacreous clouds are much smaller than those that form more common clouds.

"These smaller particles scatter light in a different way, which is what creates the distinctive luminescent appearance."

Did you see the lights last night? If so, email your pictures to news@thekmgroup.co.uk.