Saturday, February 25, 2012

Strange Cloud

Clashing warm and cold air masses have created some strange cloud formations here in the north east over the last few days. This strange pile-of-plates drifted past our window a couple of days ago. Do clouds like this have a name?

14 comments:

  1. Looks very similar to the Lenticular clouds seen on
    http://www.collthings.co.uk/2008/06/10-very-rare-clouds.html

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  2. Also see here:
    http://cloudappreciationsociety.org/find-a-cloud/#p=0&t=cloud82&i=17

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  3. Amazing cloud! I have always been enthralled by cloud formations. I can't help you with a name, but I can join you in being wowed by it.

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  4. Hey Phil,
    You haven't photographed that through a cloudy pint, have you, starting a new series on meteorologically-themed beers?

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  5. They are called wave clouds and form downwind of high ground. They can be very impressive as is this one.

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  6. I meant to say lenticular wave clouds.

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  7. Hi Phil, Great cloud shot, I think they are Lenticular clouds (altocumulus lenticularis) or 'lennies' for short!...[;o)

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  8. I'm told they're called lenticular clouds.

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  9. Seems to be lenticularis from the Guardian's free cloud chart. And perhaps even altocumulus lenticularis from the examples online at the Cloud Appreciation Society (here).

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  10. Lenticular, Phil, and I'm green with envy :o)

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  11. Looks like Altocumulus lenticularis to me.

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  12. That's interesting, I don't know about a name but there is a cloud appreciation society...

    http://cloudappreciationsociety.org/

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  13. Hi John, Ellen, Adrian, Trevor, Bob, Rob, Graeme,John and toffeeapple, Thanks so much for bringing me up to date with cloud taxonomy and pointing me at the Cloud Appreciation Society. Wonderful! The only meteorological book on my shelves is an Observers Book of Weather from the 1960s. And it's wonderful to know that there are others out there who share my propensity to wile away time admiring passing clouds. If I have any serious work to do I always make sure that I'm not near a window with a view of the sky. I rather like Rob's idea of cloud-themed beers (barman, my beer's not cloudy enough!) - if I was starting my own micro-brewery (an attractive thought) I'd probably start with a dark ale with a white head that I might call thundercloud (all hell breaks loose after the first pint) ....

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  14. Sorry snippa, forgot to thank you too ... ta!

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