Hiker captures cloud inversion after struggling to sleep

Danny Caldecott said he went to the Peak District after waking at 03:15 BST

A hiker has described the "surreal" moment he captured a cloud inversion in the Peak District.

Danny Caldecott, 41, headed up Mam Tor in Derbyshire in the early hours of Saturday after struggling to get to sleep.

He was among dozens of people who witnessed the weather phenomenon over the weekend.

Cloud inversions, also known as temperature inversions, form in valleys giving a view above the clouds.

Cloud inversions are more common in winter and happen when the temperature increases with height, the Met Office said

Mr Caldecott, from Chadderton, Oldham, said he went to the Peak District after he woke at 03:15 BST and could not get back to sleep.

"It's probably the first time I've spontaneously made a decision like I did," he said.

"It was really calming. Lot of other people were there.

"It was an incredible experience. It felt really peaceful and surreal.

"It was the first time I've ever seen it."

Dozens of people witnessed the weather phenomenon over the weekend in the Peak District

Cloud inversions are more common in winter and happen when the temperature increases with height, the Met Office said.

"This often happens in areas of high pressure, where the air high up often sinks towards the ground," it said.

"As it falls, it dries out and warms up.

"This warm layer of air can act as a lid and trap cooler air near the surface."

A flock of sheep graze as a cloud inversion forms behind them

Nikki Dixon also managed to capture the cloud inversion at Mam Tor after setting her alarm for 02:40 BST.

"Absolutely stunning morning, and once the sun came up I practically had the ridge to myself," she wrote on Facebook.