Sc stratiformis opacus
/ 0 Comments / in Low Levels, StratocumulusThe whole cloud formation could be explained in a very similar way to a photo in the WMO Cloud Atlas taken by Michael from Mount Nelson in Australia on 15th August 2011. This cloud photo shows large rounded merged mass of stratocumulus clouds arranged in an extensive layer but hidden by a very brownish cumulus fractus cloud due to the low sun angle. It is very clear, that the cloud was very thick at sunrise and was lifting and thinning during the morning. The lifting and thinning was due to the lower layers transitioning from being stable to conditionally unstable as a line of bad weather, initially a cold front, was approaching our Islands due to meeting of different winds as per third and fourth thumbnails showing the surface pressure chart and surface winds respectively. As per second thumbnail photo, with the lifting and change of stability, cumulus clouds started to form later. Both these clouds only produced some isolated rain showers in places and no thunderstorms as the weather sounding on the third thumbnail showed moisture at instability at altitudes of between 500 metres and 2000 metres. The first thumbnail is another photo shot of the same cloud cover as the cumulus clouds underneath it were continuously changing.
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