Ac castellanus

Formation of altocumulus clouds at altitudes between 3.5km and 5.8km as an upper-level trough was digging over North Africa creating marginal mid-level instability as indicated by the weather sounding on the second thumbnail. This panoramic photo seems to show an anvil top hence the cloud might be cumulonimbus altocumulogenitus though no thunder was heard and only some rain drops were reaching the ground as indicated by the rain radar image on the third thumbnail. Notice that the undersides of the altocumulus clouds both in the main image and the single shot photo on the first thumbnail show lines of precipitation not reaching the ground called virga leading to a mammatus formation. Of course any precipitation is evaporating inside the drier airmass underneath the clouds as depicted in the weather sounding. The visible satellite image on the fourth thumbnail confirms this explanation and the correct cloud species being altocumulus castellanus radiatus virga mammatus.

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