A RARE upside down rainbow was spotted in the skies above Kington.

The circumzenithal arc, also known as the Bravais' arc, was photographed by Carol Bramley last Thursday at around 7pm.

Formed when sunlight refracts through horizontal ice crystals high in the atmosphere, it is hard to spot inverted rainbows as they are often concealed by clouds.

The phenomenon or "smile in the sky" only occurs when thin wispy cirrus clouds – made of ice crystals – are at a specific angle to the sun, according to the Met Office.

Ms Bramley's experience was made extra special by the formation of a similarly rare supralateral arc which was joined on to the other halo.

"My son, Ellis, was in the garden and called me out to have a look at a rainbow on a cloud above," she said. "I grabbed my phone to take some pictures and as we watched a complete arc formed in the sky. I have never seen this phenomenon before and it was amazing to watch."

Ms Bramley, 45, said she knew the phenomenon was 'something special' but did not realise how rare it was until a physics teacher at the school she works at, told her.

It is quite a common sight in the poles but they're much more difficult to spot elsewhere.

"I've never seen one before and I'll never seen one again," she said. "It was amazing. I felt quite privileged that I had seen it."