Free Republic

The bizarre phenomenon was pictured above Al Ain near the border with Oman Due to its rarity and strange appearance the holes are often attributed to UFOs Scientists quickly explained it is a 'fallstreak hole' or 'hole punch cloud' Fallstreak holes occur when water droplets quickly freeze and form ice crystals ======================================================================= UAE citizens were left baffled after a mysterious 'whirlpool hole' suddenly appeared in the sky above the city of Al Ain this weekend. The large circular patch of clear sky emerged inside the otherwise heavy cloud near the border with Oman, as if somebody had punched a hole...

KRON4 Chief Meteorologist Lawrence Karnow says the formation is known as a "fallstreak hole" or "hole punch cloud." The clouds form when there are water droplets that are colder than freezing but have yet to freeze, according to the National Weather Service. These "supercooled" water droplets need a "reason" to freeze, which usually comes in the form of ice crystals, the NWS explains. Planes passing through the cloud layer can bring these ice crystals.