Storm Ophelia: Town engulfed in foam as ex-hurricane sparks freak weather phenomenon

Storm Ophelia has caused certain rare phenomena including a red sun and birds swirling mysteriously in the sky shortly before the category 1 storm hit.

Pictures from Cleveleys, Lancashire, have shown another odd happening – an entire town covered in foam.

Due to high winds and foam whipping off the sea, roads and buildings were covered with foam and made driving conditions difficult.

The bizarre occurrence, around six km north of Blackpool, was documented as Ophelia raged over Ireland and the UK, making landfall in County Kerry in west Ireland early Monday morning and pummelling the country with gusts of wind up to 100 mph.

Ophelia was a Category 3 storm as it intensified over the weekend, churning from the Azores across the Atlantic towards the UK.

Experts claimed it was the most eastern storm in the Atlantic Basin since Hurricane Frances in 1980 and the worst storm in general since Hurricane Debbie in 1961, which killed 12 people.

Although the storm has since weakened, Ireland has been warned to prepare for Storm Brian this weekend. Around 2000 homes in Wales are still without power.

A yellow weather warning for wind remains in Northern Ireland, southern and central Scotland, north England and north west Wales on Tuesday afternoon.

Ireland has already been hit with a red wind alert this week, with all schools closing down and public transport networks severely disrupted.

While more than 1,000 army personnel were sent to impacted areas, power lines were out and roads were blocked due to flying debris and dozens of fallen trees.

Irish prime minister, Leo Varadkar, declared a national emergency and said it was the worst storm in half a century.

At least three people have died during the storm, including one woman whose car was hit by a fallen tree in Waterford.