Sc stratiformis undulatus

Formation of flattened cumuliform clouds hence stratocumulus stratiformis as a series of cold fronts from a low pressure system over Italy were approaching the Maltese Islands. The weather sounding in the second thumbnail refers. It is very clear that the air was stable as no CAPE was present. However, cumulus clouds developed due to ‘Thermal’ because of the contrast between cold air and the sea warmth heating the cold airmass from below and forcing it to rise up to 800 metres. Once this layer was reached the cloud growth was slowed until reaching 1.4km transforming to stratocumulus. Due to lots of wind shear, as the wind between those altitudes changed from a NW Force 3 to SW Force 5, indicated by violet colour in the sounding, it affected the formation of the cloud causing it to roll in itself taking on the undulatus variety. The first thumbnail is a closer view of the described cloud showing clouds in the background also becoming wavy whilst the fourth thumbnail is the freezing level showing contrast between the arriving colder air and the present warmer air acting as a trigger for such cloud formation in an otherwise a stable airmass.

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