Mysterious blue flashes in the night sky have been seen above Huddersfield – prompting people to take to social media.

A number of people took to Facebook to report seeing the flashes over a four-hour period from 8pm to midnight last night (Tues).

One Golcar resident saw them as he looked out across the Colne Valley towards Linthwaite . He likened the flashes to “starbursts” or fireworks going off.

He said: “Me and my flatmate saw these blue flashes in the sky. You couldn’t focus on them and they left no trail, you just saw them out of the corner of your eye. I put it on Facebook about midnight and asked if anyone else had seen them. People have seen it from Berry Brow, Marsh, Slaithwaite and even Manchester.”

But Examiner weatherman Paul Stevens has the answer for the display which was spotted by people in various parts of the town.

Salendine Nook-based weatherman Paul said most of the flashes could be attributed to lightning.

He said there were a number of lightning strikes last night – but wintry conditions meant they did not appear as “normal” lightning.

Snow in the air dulled the sound of the thunder that would normally be heard and made the lightning appear blue.

Paul said there could also have been instances of electricity arcing between overhead power lines. The weight of snow falling on the cables could make them sag and blow in the wind. If the lines touched, they could create an arc of electricity – and in some cases cause power outages.

Paul said wintry showers were expected in the Huddersfield area again tomorrow (Thurs) before milder temperatures take over towards the end of the week.