Spectacular cloud formations, rainbows provide dramatic images in Nova Scotia skies

Mother Nature can put on quite a show when she wants to. But she stepped up her game to the highest level on Tuesday evening in Nova Scotia.

Dramatic shelf-cloud formations and mammatus clouds with pouch-like lumps kicked off the presentation as thunderstorms moved through parts of the province.

"Shelf clouds are a treat to see, we do see them at times in Nova Scotia but they aren't that common," said CBC Nova Scotia meteorologist Ryan Snoddon.

"They are more associated with severe weather and we don't get a lot of severe thunderstorms come through."

The shelf clouds were short-lived as the system moved through quickly. A thunderstorm provided some more beautiful scenes.

As the thunder and lightning pulled away, Mother Nature continued the magical show. Vivid rainbows, including double rainbows, glowed across the sky.

But the unique clouds, thunder and lightning and rainbows weren't the end of the bizarre weather. For the second day in a row hail fell in several counties in Nova Scotia.

"There aren't many instances where you see hail in May in the Maritimes," said Snoddon. "We don't often see hail even in the summer time here and it was the amount of hail we saw, the hail storm in Pictou County went on for 35-40 minutes."

Hundreds of lightning strikes were recorded Tuesday evening in the Maritimes.

Although it can't be officially confirmed, a lightning strike on Monday is believed to be the possible cause of a two-hectare forest fire that broke out in deep woods near Upper Falmouth.

More Nova Scotia weather images from the last two days can be seen here.