Swarms of flying ants so dense they can be seen from space

Invading insects came in such numbers Met Office satellites mistook them for rain clouds

Vast swarms of flying ants which descended across the south coast of England this week, were so dense they could be seen by satellites in space.

The insects which invaded Hampshire, West Sussex and Dorset, came in such numbers they were mistaken by the Met Office’s radar imaging for rain clouds.

The swarm came on Wednesday during the ants’ seasonal nuptial flight – a phase of reproduction that sees virgin queens pursued by millions of males hoping to mate.

Because she flies away from all but the strongest and fastest potential partners, the process helps to refine the survival of the fittest process.

But it also means that a lot of ants take to the skies and then to the ground for several hours.

The insects showed up on images as showers of rain because "the radar thinks the beams are hitting raindrops, not ants", a Met Office spokesperson said.

The nuptial flight has become colloquially known as "Flying Ant Day", although it can occur across several weeks during hot summers.

The insects are generally harmless to humans but can cause some chaos.

In recent years, players at Wimbledon have struggled to maintain focus as swarms descended during the annual tennis championship.