TODAY - July 2 - is World UFO Day, and if you want to go looking for the unexplained, you may not need to travel far.

While Area 51 and Roswell in the USA are typically considered the global capitals of the supernatural, Newport and the surrounding Gwent area can lay claim to the title of Welsh, or even British home of UFOs.

Over the years, there have been a number of strange sightings in the area, many of which remain unexplained to this day.

From strange shapes and flying triangles, to a supposed alien encounter in Cwmbran, the area has certainly seen some sights.

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Of course, it pales in comparison to the likes of Roswell – where a paranormal incident so dramatic happened that World UFO Day was created on its anniversary.

On this day in 1947, a United States Army Air Force balloon crashed in New Mexico – though many believe that this was a cover up, and that in actual fact, a flying saucer had crash landed in the desert.

Over the years, hundreds, if not thousands of conspiracy theories have emerged regarding this incident, and it comes as little surprise that the International UFO Museum and Research Center was later built nearby.

Closer to home, it would be impossible to list each and every UFO sighting locally over the years – simply because there has been so many.

According to the website ufostalker.com, there have been four sightings in Newport, and a further 192 in the region as a whole.

Below, you can find some of the weird and wonderful UFO sightings from across Newport and Gwent.

UFO sightings in Newport

According to submissions on ufostalker.com, the following UFO incidents have been spotted in and around Newport.

  • Where? Duffryn. What? On May 3, 2014, a person took a picture of the sunrise while cycling to work. When they later checked the photo, they saw what was described as “a circular shaped object with a dome on top” in the sky.
  • Where? Newport. What? On May 4, 2008, a Newport resident saw a star like light moving through the sky in the evening. They said that it passed overhead silently, at the approximate height of an aircraft, before disappearing into the distance.
  • Where? Newport. What? On August 12, 2009, four neighbours sat in their own gardens were said to have seen a bright glowing light in the sky. It is claimed that it descended slightly, revealing itself to be a disc shaped craft, with dim white lights on the underside. From the skies above Newport, it was said to have banked to the north towards Pontypool.
  • Where? Newport. What? On Boxing Day 1984, one person claimed to have seen two circular lights above the horizon. When they drove closer to the lights for inspection, these lights “closed up”, before three new lights were seen, showing it to be a triangular shaped craft, which was giving off electrical type sparks. The person who spotted this reported it to the police - who asked if they had been drinking.
  • Where? Cwmbran. What? According to another post, on June 15, 2015, a group of people were walking their dog when they saw a strange figure watching them from behind a rock. On closer inspection, the figure was said to have disappeared into thin air, leaving behind a smell similar to cinnamon.
  • Where? Caldicot. What? On November 27, 2016, a person believed that they saw a Chinese lantern overhead at first, before it sped off and flew away. The person said that it looked like either a black triangle, or a military drone.
  • Where? Chepstow. What? Last year, in April, an individual in Chepstow thought that they heard a helicopter late at night. They said that they did indeed see a helicopter – which was chasing a green light in the sky.
  • Where? Ystrad Mynach. What? Back in March 2018, one person saw four lights moving through the sky in formation. A few minutes later, they saw a further seven lights moving in the same direction.

Have you spotted any UFOs in Newport or the surrounding area? Let us know in the comments below.