RESIDENTS from the Bridgwater and Burnham-on-Sea areas were treated to a magnificent purple sky over the seafront yesterday afternoon.

Weekly News reader Emma Snook captured these three stunning snaps of the rare phenomenon, which was so apparent that no editing work was needed to bring out the colour in the photos.

But why did the sky turn purple?

Well, according to nature and environment news site Treehugger, Sarah Keith-Lucas from BBC Weather said: "Dust, pollution, water droplets, and cloud formations" can often affect the colour of the sky.

On rare occasions, pink and purple colours will appear more visible than red and orange.

According to Sarah, this is partially due to "the optical illusion of the pink wavelengths lighting up the base of the cloud (due to the low angle of the sun's rays), and these pink clouds superimposed on a dark blue sky.

"The combination of pink and dark blue can make the sky appear a deep purple."

On the other side of the coin, SpiritualMeanings.org say a purple sky can signify that you are about to embark on a journey of self-discovery.

It could also mean that you are about to receive some 'essential spiritual guidance'.

Allegedly, your dreams and intuition during a purple sky will likely contain important messages.

Whatever the reason, the purple sky made for another scenic and memorable sunset in Somerset.