Cloudtypesforobservers

Readingthesky

Cloudtypesforobservers

Readingthesky

C l o u d t y p e s f o r o b s e r ve r s 1

Introduction

Cloudsarecontinuallychangingandappearinaninfinite
varietyofforms.Itispossible,however,todefinealimited
numberofcharacteristicformsobservedallovertheworld
intowhichcloudscanbebroadlygrouped.TheWorld
MeteorologicalOrganization(WMO)hasdrawnupa
classificationofthesecharacteristicformstoenablean
observertoreportthetypesofcloudpresent.This
publicationillustratesandexplainstheclassifications.
Classificationisbasedon10maingroupsofclouds.These
aredividedintothreelevelslow,mediumandhigh
accordingtothatpartoftheatmosphereinwhichtheyare
usuallyfound.AcodefiguredesignatedCL,CM orCH is
usedtodescribethecloudsofeachlevel.Thedivisionsare
showninthetablebelow.Whenthereismorethanone
typeofcloudofanylevelpresent,anorderofpriorityhas
beenarrangedbyWMOtodeterminewhichcodefigure
shouldbeused.
Inthispublicationaseparatesectionisdevotedtothe
cloudsofeachlevel.Atthebeginningofeachsectiona
pictorialguideshowsthepriorityofcoding.

Thedescriptionsandphotographswhichfollowaregiven
inthesameorderasthecodefiguresinthepictorialguide.
Tofindthecorrectcodefigurefromthepictorialguides,
startatwhichevercircleisapplicableatthetopofthepage
andfollowthesolidlinefromdescriptiontodescriptionas
longasallthecriteriaareapplicable.Ifadescriptionis
reachedwhichisnotapplicable,returntotheprevious
descriptionandtakethepeckedlinetoapicturesquare.
Thecorrectcodefigurewillbefoundinthetoprighthand
cornerofthepicturesquare.
Distinguishingfeaturesconnectedwiththe10maingroups
ofcloudsarelistedattheendofthispublication.Observers
mayfindthisausefulguidewhenconsideringwhich
cloudsmaybepresent,orwheneliminatingimprobable
clouds,especiallyduringdarkness.Insomemeteorological
messages,cloudsareidentifiedaccordingtothe10main
groups.Acodefigure,designatedC,isused.Allreferences
toCcodefiguresinthispublicationareprintedinred.
IntheUnitedKingdomtheheightofthecloudbaseis
reportedinfeet.

Cloudclassification
Level

Designation

Type

Abbreviation

Ccode

Highclouds
(baseusually20,000ftor
above,overBritishIsles)

CH

Cirrus
Cirrocumulus
Cirrostratus

Ci
Cc
Cs

0
1
2

Mediumclouds
(baseusuallybetween6,500
and20,000ftoverBritishIsles,
althoughNsmaylowertonear
theEarth'ssurface)

CM

Altocumulus
Altostratus
Nimbostratus

Ac
As
Ns

3
4
5

Lowclouds
(baseusuallybelow6,500ft
overBritishIsles)

CL

Stratocumulus
Stratus
Cumulus
Cumulonimbus

Sc
St
Cu
Cb

6
7
8
9

C l o u d t y p e s f o r o b s e r ve r s

PictorialguideCL:ScStCuCb
Tofindthecorrectcodefigurebelow,startatwhichever
circleisapplicableandthenfollowthesolidlinefrom
descriptiontodescription,solongasallcriteriaaremet.
Cb,withclearlyfibrousor

striatedupperpartpresent

Ifadescriptionisreachedwhichisnotapplicable,returnto
thepreviousdescriptionandfollowthepeckedline.

CL9

No
Cb

CSBroomfield

Cb
present

Cb,withoutclearlyfibrousor
striatedupperpartpresent

CL3

Sc,formedbythespreading
outofCu,present

CL4

Cuofmoderateorgreat
verticalextentpresent

CL2

St,orraggedStotherthanof
badweather,orboth

CL6

RaggedStorraggedCu,
ofbadweather,orboth

CL7

RKPilsbury

RKPilsbury

NoScformedbythe
spreadingoutofCu

CL8

Cuoflittleverticalextent,or
raggedCuotherthanofbad
weather,orboth

CL1

Scnotformedbythespreading
outofCu

CL5

NoCuandScwithbases
atdifferentlevels

RKPilsbury

CSBroomfield

SJebson

NoCuofmoderateor

greatverticalextent.

UseCL =1,5,6or7,

whicheverpredominates

RKPilsbury

RKPilsbury

CSBroomfield

CuandScwithbasesat
differentlevels

C l o u d t y p e s f o r o b s e r ve r s 3

CL9Cumulonimbuswithanvil

(CloudGroupC9)

If the cumulonimbus passes nearly, or

directly, overhead the characteristic top can
be lost to view. An observer, seeing only
the underside, may therefore confuse it
with nimbostratus if a watch has not been
kept on the sky, but by convention, the
cloud is reported as cumulonimbus if
accompanied by lightning, thunder, hail or
other precipitation of a showery nature.

StraitofGibraltar
Baseofstratocumulusinforegroundabout1,800ft

RDWhyman

Underneaththebase,whichisoftenvery
dark,pannuscloudsCL7frequentlyform
and,instorms,thesemaybeonlyafew
hundredfeetabovetheEarth'ssurface.The
pannuscloudsmaymergetoforma
continuouslayer.Theremayberagged
cumulus(bottomphotograph)oradense
horizontalrollattheshower'sedge.
Mammamayform,especiallyonthe
undersideoftheprojectinganvil(facing
page,2ndrowleft),andmayappear
particularlyprominentwhenthesunislow
in the sky. Virga may often be seen. Dense
cirrus, altocumulus, altostratus,
stratocumulus, cumulus and stratus may
also be present.

PHJeffries

Thecharacteristicshapeofthesecloudscan
onlybeseenasawholewhenviewedfrom
adistance(topphotograph).Thetopsof
thesemassivecloudsshowafibrousor
striatedstructurethatfrequentlyresembles
ananvil(facingpage,topleft),plume,or
hugemassofhair(facingpage,bottom
left).Theymayoccurasanisolatedcloud
oranextensivewall(facingpage,3rdrow
right).Squalls,hailand/orthunderoften
accompanythem.

Bracknell

CL=9isusedwhenitisimpossibleto
differentiatebetweenCL3andCL9.

RDWhyman

Cumulonimbusmostfrequentlydevelop
fromlargecumulusCL2;sometimesthey
developfromaltocumuluscastellanusCM8,
thenthebaseisunusuallyhigh;theymay
beembeddedinaltostratusor
nimbostratus;and/ortheymaydisintegrate
into dense cirrus CH3.

Bracknell
Cloudbase1,0001,200ft

C l o u d t y p e s f o r o b s e r ve r s

Crowncopyright

KWoodley

CL3Cumulonimbus
withoutanvil(CloudGroupC9)

NewtonBreda

CSBroomfield

Bracknell
Cloudbaseabout3,000ft

ThecloudsofCL3aregenerallyatan
intermediatestagerepresentingafurther
developmentofCL2butnotyetreaching
thestageofCL9.
Theclearcutoutlinesandcauliflowertops
ofCL2haveatleastpartiallydisappeared,
butnopartofthecloudtophasacquireda
fibrousappearanceoranyanvil
development.Theprotuberancestendto
formawhitishmasswithoutstriations.

RKPilsbury

Showersorthunderstormsmayoccur.
Cumulus,stratocumulusorstratusmay
alsobepresent.

PJBNye

TotlandIOWCloudbase1,800ft

New cloud domes may be produced which

makethecumulonimbusassume,
temporarily,theappearanceoftowering
cumulusCL2,butitshouldstillbecalled
cumulonimbusandreportedasCL3.The
occurrenceoflightning,thunderorhail
sometimesprovidestheonlyindicationof
thepresenceofacumulonimbus.If,inthis
case,itisnotpossibletodecidewhether
thecloudisCL3orCL9,thecodingis,by
convention,CL=9.

Dishforth

C l o u d t y p e s f o r o b s e r ve r s 5

CL4Stratocumulusfromspreadingoutofcumulus

(CloudGroupC6)

RKPilsbury

Thistypeofstratocumulusmostoften
formswhentheupperpartofcumulus
clouds,thathadbeengainingheightand
arenolongerabletodoso,beginto
spreadouthorizontally.Thecumulus
generallywidentowardsthelevelatwhich
theyspreadout.Sometimesthecumulus
growthisresumed,atleastinsomeplaces,
abovethestratocumulus.Raggedmamma
oftenappearontheundersideofthe
stratocumulus(seeinsettomiddle
photograph).Theindividualmamma
elementsareshortlivedanddonotappear
asprominentasthoseshowninthesecond
rowphotographonpage36.

jfpGalvin

SGCornford

AnotherformofCL4oftenoccursinthe
eveningwhenthesun'sheatdecreases
and,inconsequence,cumulusclouds
flattenandassumetheappearanceof
patchesofstratocumulus.Thisisdepicted
inthebottomgroupofphotographswhich
weretakenoveraperiodofabout20
minutes.Cirrusandcirrostratusalsoappear
inthesephotographs.

RKPilsbury

RAFCranwell

Cirrostratusandcirruscanalsobeseen

C l o u d t y p e s f o r o b s e r ve r s

CL8Cumulusandstratocumulusatdifferent

heights (CloudGroupsC6andC8)

CSBroomfield(Crowncopyright)

ThecodefigureCL=8isusedforcumulus
andstratocumulus,otherthanthe
stratocumulusformedfromthespreading
outofcumulusCL=4,thathavetheirbases
atdifferentheights.

Cumulusbase2,000ft.Stratocumulusbase3,000ft

Usuallythecumulusformsbeneathpatches
orasheetofstratocumulusandmayeven
thrustitswayintoorthroughthe
stratocumulus(bottomphotograph).
UnlikesomeCL4thecumulusofCL8does
notwidenupwardstowardsthe
stratocumuluslayer.Athinnedoreven
clearedareamaysurroundthecumulus
column.
Lessfrequentlythecumulusappearsabove
thestratocumulus.

RKPilsbury

Thecaptionstothetopandbottom
photographsshowtheestimatedheightof
thecloudbaseatthetimeeachpicturewas
taken.

CSBroomfield(Crowncopyright)

TotlandIOW
Stratocumulusandcumulus

Cumulusbase2,500ft.Stratocumulusbase6,500ft

C l o u d t y p e s f o r o b s e r ve r s 7

CL2Cumulusofmoderateorstrongvertical
development (CloudGroupC8)

Whenwelldevelopedthesecloudsmay
sometimesgiveshowersandinthetropics
theremaybeabundantrainfall.

RKPilsbury

ThesecloudsareadevelopmentofCL1.
Theiroutlineisusuallyclearcut,with
horizontalbasesandcauliflowershaped
tops(topphotograph),althoughinfresh
windssomeraggednessmayoccur.Sunlit
partsaremostlybrilliantwhitewhilebases
arerelativelydark.Thecloudsare
sometimesarrangedinlines,calledcloud
streets,nearlyparalleltothewinddirection
(smallpictures,topright).Theymayalso
formwithtalltowers(smallpictures,top
left)thatmaybetiltedbythewind.

ChristchurchBay
Cumulusbase3,000ft

SmallcumulusCL1andstratocumulusCL5
mayalsobepresent,allhavingtheirbases
atthesamelevel.Welldevelopedcumulus
cloudsmaybeaccompaniedbydense
cirrus,CH2orCH3,andaltocumulus,
formedfromthespreadingoutofcumulus
CM6.

Crowncopyright

Cumulusmediocris

RKPilsbury

Asthereislittlechangeinthetemperatureof
theseabeneaththem,theheightofthebase
ofcumulusintheoceantradewindbeltsis
remarkablyuniformataround2,000ft.

RKPilsbury

Overland,cumuluscloudsusuallydisperse
inthelateafternoonorearlyevening.
Overtheoceans,maximumcumulus
activityseemstooccurinthelatehoursof
thenight.

ChristchurchBay
Cumulusbase2,500ft

RDWhyman

GeoAnderson

Bracknell
Cumulusbase3,000ftwithvirga

Cumuluscongestus

C l o u d t y p e s f o r o b s e r ve r s

Largecumulus

CL1Smallcumulus

CSBroomfield

CSBroomfield

(CloudGroupC8)

Odiham,Hants.Base2,000ft

Base1,200ft

Cumulusformationisoftenprecededby
hazyspotsoutofwhichthecloudsevolve
(top left). The clouds in their early stages of
formation are depicted in the photograph
at top right. When completely formed, the
clouds have clearcut horizontal bases and
rounded tops (centre photographs). In this
stagetheyarecalledfairweather
cumulus.Inthephotographatbottomleft
thecloudshavebeenfrayedbyafairly
strong,turbulentwind.
Overland,onclearmornings,cumulus
mayform as the sun rapidly heats the
ground, or may result from the
transformation of stratus CL6.Nearcoasts,
cumulusmayformoverthelandbydayin
aseabreezeandovertheseaduringthe
nightinalandbreeze.

CSBroomfield

Cumulusinthelaststagesofdissipation
(bottomright)isalsocodedasCL=1.
Ifatleastoneofthecumulusclouds
presentintheskyshowsmoderateor
strongverticaldevelopment,thecodeCL=2
isused.

RKPilsbury

Fareham,Hants
Base3,000ft

WestMeon,Hants

WGPendleton

CSBroomfield

Base2,000ft

Penmaen
Cumulusfractus

C l o u d t y p e s f o r o b s e r ve r s 9

CL5Stratocumulusnotfromthespreading
ofcumulus (CloudGroupC6)
Stratocumulusoccursinpatchesorlayers,
composedofroundedmassesorrolls,at
oneormorelevels.Thecloudsaregreyor
whitishandalmostalwayshavedarkparts.
Mostoftheregularlyarrangedsmall
elements,whenmorethan30abovethe
horizon,haveanapparentwidthofmore
thanthreefingersatarm'slength.

Sometimestheelementslieinparallel
bands(middlephotograph).Dueto
perspectivethesemayappeartoconverge
towardsthehorizon.

JFPGalvin

Whenintheformofdarkrolls(top
photograph)theedgesoftenmerge
togethertoformacontinuouslayer.

Oslofjord
Stratocumulusstratiformis

Sometimesthecloudisnotverydenseand
gapsmayappearbetweentheelements
(bottomphotograph).

Aldergrove
Stratocumulusstratiformis

JFPGalvin

RMBlackall

StratusCL6C=7 maylifttobecome
stratocumulusCL5C=6.Stratocumulus
oftenformsbeneathnimbostratusCM2
C=5.

Crowncopyright

Inthetropicsespecially,stratocumulusmay
occurasalarge,singlerollcloud.Itmay
alsooccurintheshapeoflensesor
almonds,althoughthisisfairlyrare.One
particularspecies,calledstratocumulus
castellanus,hascumulusliketurretsrising
fromacommonhorizontalbase(bottom,
inset).Theturretsmaydevelopintolarge
cumulus,whenthecodingbecomesCL=2
C=8,orevencumulonimbus.

10

C l o u d t y p e s f o r o b s e r ve r s

CL7Stratusfractusandcumulusfractusofbad

weather (CloudGroupC7)

CSBroomfield

Theseraggedshredsoflowcloudalways
appearinassociationwithotherclouds.
Theyoftenformbeneathlowering
altostratus or nimbostratus, during
precipitation and for a short time before
and after. They also occur beneath
cumulonimbus and precipitating cumulus.

Crowncopyright

Pannus(dark)600ftbeneath
nimbostratus(lightgrey)2,000ft

Collectively they are known as pannus or

scud. Frequently these clouds become
increasingly numerous and merge into a
more or less continuous layer, sometimes
completely obscuring the sky above. They
appear dark or grey against the lighter grey
of the cloud above and generally move
quickly across the sky, changing shape
rapidly.

CSBroomfield

Kingswood
Stratusfractus

Cumulusfractus1,500ftbeneathaltostratus8,000ft

C l o u d t y p e s f o r o b s e r ve r s 1 1

CL6Stratus
(CloudGroupC7)

Stratusmostcommonlyoccursasasingle,
grey,fairlyuniform,featurelesslayeroflow
cloud.Occasionallyitcanbedarkoreven
threatening,althoughatmostitcanonly
produceweakprecipitation.Thisfeature
makesitfairlyeasytodistinguishfrom
nimbostratus,whichnearlyalways
producesrain,snoworicepellets.

RKPilsbury

However,precipitationfallingfromahigher
cloudthroughadark,uniformlayerof
stratusmaycausetheobserversome
confusion.Stratus,whenformingor
dissipating,mayappearasraggedshreds
calledstratusfractus.Whenoccurringalone
theseshredsappeargreywhenviewed
towardsthesunandwhitewhenviewed
awayfromit.Theymayalsoappear
beneathacontinuouslayerofstratus.
Theseshreds,unlikethoseofCL7,arenot
accompaniedbyprecipitation.Fogwill
oftenliftintoalayerofstratusbyan
increaseinwindorariseintemperature.
Stratusissometimescomparativelythin
andthediscofthesunormoonmaybe
seenwithaclearoutline(photograph,
bottomright).

WestWight

CSBroomfield

Thetopphotographshowsapatchof
stratusalmostrestingontheheadland
462ftabovemeansealevel.Inthesecond
photographthetopofan180ftoffice
blockislosttoviewinlowstratusonan
overcastfoggymorning.Patchesbeneatha
mainlayerareseeninthethirdrowleft.
Thirdrowrightshowsstratus,inahilly
region,baselessthan50ftaboveground,
thathasdriftedinfromthesea.Alayerof
stratusintheprocessofdissipationis
shownatbottomleft.Thebaseofthe
cloudinthisphotographwasestimatedto
be900ft.

FNorton

CSBroomfield

Bracknell

Bracknell

12

C l o u d t y p e s f o r o b s e r ve r s

RKPilsbury

CSBroomfield(Crowncopyright)

IsleofMan

Pictorial guide CM: Ac-As-Ns

CM1

SG Cornford

No Ac

CM2

Ac, formed by the spreading

out of Cu or Cb, present

CM6

CM9

Turreted Ac or AC in tufts
present

CM8

As or Ns also present

CM7

Ac continually changing in
appearanceor in the shape of
almonds or leaves

CM4

Opaque Ac predominant

CM7

Sky not chaotic

No turreted Ac and
no Ac in tufts

SG Cornford

Opaque As, or Ns

Chaotic sky

Ac
present

No As and no Ns

Matthew Clark

Semi transparent As

If a description is reached which is not applicable, return to

the previous description and follow the pecked line.

Crown copyright

To find the correct code figure below, start at whichever

circle is applicable and then follow the solid line from
description to description, so long as all criteria are met.

No Ac formed by
the spreading out
of Cu or Cb

RK Pilsbury

SG Cornford

Ac not invading the sky

Crown copyright

CM3

RK Pilsbury

Semi-transparent
Ac predominant

CM7

RK Pilsbury

Ac at two or more levels

Ac at single level
use CM = 3 or 7
whichever predominates

Steve Jebson

CM5

RK Pilsbury

Ac invading the sky

Ac not changing much

nor in the shape of almonds
and lenses

C l o u d t y p e s f o r o b s e r ve r s

13

CM2Thickaltostratusornimbostratus

(CloudGroupsC4and C5)

Withfurtherthickeningofaltostratusand
loweringofitsbase,thecloudmay
eventuallybecomethickenoughtomask
thesunthroughout.Atthisstageitiscalled
nimbostratus.TheCM coderemainsCM=2
buttheCcodechangestoC=5,
continuouslyfallingrainorsnowgivesita
diffuseappearance.Pannusclouds,
generallymovingfastandchangingshape
rapidly,frequentlyoccurbeneathitsbase.
Thesecloudsappeardarkorgreyagainst
thelighterbackgroundofthecloudabove.
Duringheavyprecipitationthepannusmay
disappear.

RKPilsbury

AltostratusCM2isdenserandofadarker
greyorbluishgreythanaltostratusCM1
fromwhichitmaydevelop.Thegreater
partissufficientlydensetocompletely
maskthesunormoon.Raggedshredsof
pannuscloudsCL7mayformata
considerabledistancebelowthealtostratus.
Later,withathickeningofthealtostratus
andaloweringofitsbase,thisdistanceis
greatlyreduced.Pannuscanbeseeninthe
threephotographsonthispage.

Baseofnimbostratusestimatedat6,0008,000ftwith
pannusat800ft

Nimbostratuswithstratusfractus

RKPilsbury

Inthetropics,particularlyduringshortlulls
intherainfall,nimbostratusmaybreakinto
severaldifferentcloudlayerswhichrapidly
mergeagain.Thecloudsthenoftenshowa
verylividcolourwithvariationsin
brightness.

CSBroomfield

Ifpannuscloudsmergeintoacontinuous
layerobscuringthecloudabove,the
codingCM=2shouldbereplacedbya/and
thepannuscodedasCL=7C=7.

Nimbostratuswithpannus,base800ft,below

14

C l o u d t y p e s f o r o b s e r ve r s

CM1Thinaltostratus
(CloudGroupC4)

CSBroomfield

Thinaltostratususuallyevolvesfrom the
gradual thickening of a veil of cirrostratus.
It nearly always appears as a layer of great
horizontal extent.

Cloudbase10,000ft

It is of a greyish or bluish colour, never

white, and the greater part is always
translucent enough to reveal the sun (or
moon) as through ground glass. The
groundglass effect can be seen in the three
photographs on this page. Objects on the
ground do not cast shadows, and halo
phenomena are never seen. Pannus clouds
CL7mayoccur.

SGCornford

Intheirinitialstagesofformationthe
pannuscloudsaresmallandwellseparated
andusuallyoccurataconsiderable
distancebelowthealtostratus.Sometimes,
especiallyinthetropics,altostratusmay
form from the spreading out of the middle
or upper part of a cumulonimbus.

RKPilsbury

Altostratus15,000ftwithstratocumulus,
bases3,000ftand5,000ft,beneath

Altostratusshowingbroadparallelbands

C l o u d t y p e s f o r o b s e r ve r s 1 5

CM9Altocumulusofachaoticsky
(CloudGroupC3)

Inthetopphotographtheestimatedbase
ofthelowestcloudis7,000ft.Thereare
confusedhigherlayersuptothesheetof
altostratusat15,000ft.Aprominentturret
of altocumulus castellanus can be seen in
thecentreofthephotograph.

CSBroomfield

Altocumulusofachaoticskygenerally
occursatseverallevels.Theskyis
characterisedbyitsheavy,stagnant
appearance.Therearemoreorlessbroken
cloudsheetsofpoorlydefinedcloudsofall
transitionalformsfromratherlow,thick
altocumulus,tohigh,thinaltostratus.There
isgenerallyamixtureoflowlevelandhigh
levelcloudsalsopresentinthistypeofsky.

Inthemiddlephotographragged
altocumulus and altostratus can be seen in
several illdefined layers, the lowest
appearing grey in the lightofthesetting
sun.Thelayersrangeinheightfromabout
8,000ftto18,000ft.Virgacanbeseen
trailing beneath some of the clouds.

RKPilsbury

CSBroomfield

Thebottompictureshowspoorlydefined
patchesofaltocumulus and stratocumulus
beneath extensive layers of altostratus and
altocumulus.

16

C l o u d t y p e s f o r o b s e r ve r s

CM8Altocumuluswithtuftsorsproutings

(CloudGroupC3)

Twospeciesofaltocumulusarecoded
underCM8.

RKPilsbury

Altocumulusfloccusclouds,asdepictedin
thetopphotograph,occuraswhiteorgrey
scattered tufts with rounded and slightly
bulgingupperparts. These clouds
resembleverysmallragged cumulus and
are often accompanied by fibrous trails of
virga from their bases.

Altocumulusfloccuswithvirga,base15,000ft

Altocumulus castellanus is pictured in the

other two photographs. This species has
sproutings in the form of small towers or
battlements and the cumiliform appearance
is more marked than in altocumulus
floccus. The cloud elements have a
common base and appear to be arranged
in lines. These characteristics are evident
when the cloud is seen from the side.

DMGBuchanan

Altocumulus castellanus may develop into

large cumulus CL2orsometimes
cumulonimbusCL3or9.Altocumulus
floccussometimesresultsfromthe
dissipationofthebaseofaltocumulus
castellanus,andmayitselfdissipate,leaving
behindverywhitetrailsofcirrus.
Boththesetypesareassociatedwith
developingthunderyconditionsovera
wideareaasopposedtothunderstorms
arisingfromlocallygenerated
cumulonimbusclouds.

RNHughes

LondonHeathrowAirport
Altocumuluscastellanus,base7,000ft

GreatGaddeston,Herts
Altocumuluscastellanus,baseabout15,000ft

C l o u d t y p e s f o r o b s e r ve r s 1 7

CM7Altocumuluswithaltostratusornimbostratus
(Otherthanchaoticsky)

(CloudGroupC3ifaltocumuluspredominates,C4ifaltostratus
predominates,C5ifnimbostratuspredominates)

Whenaltocumulusoccurstogetherwith
altostratusornimbostratus,CM iscodedas
7(unlessCM=9applies.)

Altocumulusandaltostratusatthesame
levelaredepictedinthetopphotograph.In
themiddlephotographtheyoccuratmore
thanonelevel.

RKPilsbury

Thecloudsmayoccurasasingleora
multiplelayer,showingpartlythe
characteristicsofaltocumulus,partlythose
ofaltostratusornimbostratus.Thissky
resultsfromtransformationprocessesby
whichaltocumuluschangeslocallyand
acquirestheappearanceofaltostratusor
nimbostratus.
Bracknell
Cloudbase12,000ft

SGCornford

CodefigureCM=7isalsousedtoreport
altocumulusintwoormorelayers,orthick
altocumulusinasinglelayer.Thencode
figuresCM=6,5and4takeprecedenceover
CM=7.Descriptionsoftheseothertypesof
skyofCM7aregivenonpage22.

CSBroomfield

IsleofSkye
Cloudbasebetween10,000and15,000ft

18

C l o u d t y p e s f o r o b s e r ve r s

CM6Altocumulusfromthespreading

outofcumulus (CloudGroupC3)

RKPilsbury

Onsomeoccasionstheupwardgrowthof
cumuluscloudonreachingmediumcloud
levelsisarrested.Thetopofthe cumulus
cloud then spreads out to form
altocumulus CM6.Thetopphotograph
showstheearlystagesofthis type of
formation. The photograph beneath was
taken of the same cloud some time later
when the spread of the altocumulus had
become much more extensive. Cirrostratus
is also seen above the altocumulus and
cumulus.
Another example of this type of
altocumulus development is seen at the
bottom of the page (top line and bottom
left).

Totland,IOW

Occasionally, after a temporary spreading

out, upward growth is resumed in places
so that the altocumulus appears on the
side of the cumulus. This renewed upward
growth can be seen in the photograph at
bottom right. Altocumulus CM6canalso
occuronthesideofcumulonimbus.

RKPilsbury

Becauseofthewayinwhichitisformed,
CM6occursinpatches.Thesearefairly
thickatfirstandtheirundersurfacemay
appearrippled.Laterthesepatchesthin
outandbreakintoseparateelements.
Altocumulusneverhasthefibrous
structure,silkysheenorwhitenessofthe
anvilofcumulonimbus.

FNorton

FNorton

Cumulusbase3,000ft,altocumulusbaseabout
10,500ft,cirrostratusabout25,000ft

F Norton

RKPilsbury

ShinfieldPark,Reading

ShinfieldPark,Reading

ShinfieldPark,Reading

C l o u d t y p e s f o r o b s e r ve r s 1 9

CM5Altocumulusprogressivelyinvadingthesky

ThealtocumuluscloudsofCM5gradually
spreadfromonepartofthehorizon,often
passingoverhead,andmayeventually
reachtheoppositehorizon.Theseclouds
generallythicken,andusuallyappear
thickest,inthedirectionfromwhichthey
firstappeared.Theadvancingedgemay
consistofsmallcloudlets,ofteninthe
processofdissipation,whichmaycovera
largeexpanseofthesky.Thecloudsoften
lieinparallelbandsandmaybeinoneor
morelayers.ThecodingCM=5isnolonger
applicableoncethecloudsstretchfrom
horizontohorizon,orwhentheforward
edgenolongerprogresses.
If,duringitsprogressacrossthesky,parts
ofthealtocumuluschangetoaltostratusor
nimbostratus,thecodingbecomesCM=7
insteadofCM=5.

CSBroomfield

(CloudGroupC3)

Bracknell
Base9,000ft

CSBroomfield

Themiddlephotographwastakenashort
timeafterthetopphotographandtogether
theyillustratethespreadofaltocumulus
withtime.

RKPilsbury

Bracknell
Base9,000ft

Totland,IOW
Altocumulusstratiformis

20

C l o u d t y p e s f o r o b s e r ve r s

CM4Altocumuluscontinuallychangingshape
lenticularaltocumulus (CloudGroupC3)

RKPilsbury

RKPilsbury

Theirregularlyarrangedelementsof
altocumulusofspecificationCM=4are
continuouslychanginginshape.They
oftenappeartobedissolvinginsome
placesandforminginothers.Thiscanbe
seenbycomparingthetwo top
photographs which were taken within five
minutes of each other. These clouds are
usually thin and do not progressively
invade the sky. They often resemble a net
or honeycomb.

Crowncopyright

SouthernSpain

JAWalton

Aberdeenatsunset

PHJeffries

RKPilsbury

TotlandIOW

Aberdeen

The altocumulus of CM4oftenformsin

patchesintheshapeofalmondsorlenses
andisthen called altocumulus lenticularis.
These formations are caused by wave
motions in the atmosphere and are
frequently seen in mountainous or hilly
areas. They are often called wave clouds.
They may be triggered by hills only a few
hundred metres high and may extend
downwind for over 100 km. The cloud
elements form at the windward edge of the
cloud and are carried to the downwind
edge where they evaporate. The cloud as a
whole is usually stationary or slow moving.
These clouds often have very smooth
outlines and show definite shading. At sea
they are likely to be seen only to landward.
They may appear well distributed over the
sky (middle left stratocumulus is also
present), or as a single element (middle
right), and can resemble a pile of plates
when the elements appear one on top of
the other.

CerrigyDrudion

C l o u d t y p e s f o r o b s e r ve r s 2 1

CM7Altocumulusatmorethanonelevel
(CloudGroupC3)

Thesepatches,sheets,orlayersmaybeof
eithergenerallythinaltocumulus,although
thickenoughinplacestomaskthesunor
mooncompletely,oraltocumuluswhichis
thickthroughout.
Theelementsofthisaltocumulusdonot
changecontinually,nordotheclouds
progressivelyinvadethesky.

CSBroomfield

Besidesbeingusedtospecifyaltocumulus
togetherwithaltostratusornimbostratus
(page18)thecodefigureCM=7isusedto
describepatches,sheets,orlayersof
altocumulusattwoormorelevels.

Inthetopphotographthelowergreylayer
wasestimatedtobeat8,000ftandthe
higherwhitelayerat12,000ft.Inthe
middlephotographthelayerswere
estimatedtobeat10,000ftand15,000ft.
The bottom photograph was taken when
the sun was low in the sky and the
difference in colouring shows the two layers
quite distinctly. The base of the darkgrey
layer was estimated to be at 8,000 ft and
the upper white layer at 15,000 ft.

CSBroomfield

CSBroomfield

Note: Further specifications for CM=7are

givenonpage24.

22

C l o u d t y p e s f o r o b s e r ve r s

CM3Semitransparentaltocumulus

(CloudGroupC3)

ThecodingCM=3isusedtoreport
altocumulusatasinglelevel,thegreater
partofwhichissufficientlytransparentto
reveal the position of the sun or moon.

CSBroomfield

The clouds do not progressively invade the

sky, and the individual elements change
very little.
The regularly arranged elements, as
pictured in the top and middle
photographs, usually have an apparent
width of between one and three fingers at
arm's length, when 30 or more above the
horizon. In the middle photograph an
aircraft condensation trail high above the
altocumulus can also be seen.

CSBroomfield

These thin altocumulus clouds usually

produce a corona.

SJebson

Base12,000ft

C l o u d t y p e s f o r o b s e r ve r s 2 3

CM7Thickaltocumulusinasinglelayer

Base8,000ft

CSBroomfield

Inadditiontothespecificationsonpages
18and22,CM=7isalsousedwhenthere
arepatches,sheetsoralayerof
predominantlythickaltocumulusata
singlelevel.Theelementsofthis
altocumulusdonotchangecontinually,
nordoesthecloudprogressivelyinvadethe
sky.Mostoftheregularlyarranged
elements,asshowninthemiddleand
bottomphotographs,haveanapparent
widthofbetweenoneandthreefingersat
arm'slength,when30ormoreabovethe
horizon.Eveniftheelementsappear
smallerthanthis,thecloudisstillclassified
altocumulusifitshowsshading.Inthetop
photographthecloudelementsare
irregularinshape.

RKPilsbury

(CloudGroupC3)

JFPGalvin

Base9,000ft

Altocumulusstratiformis

24

C l o u d t y p e s f o r o b s e r ve r s

PictorialCH:CiCcCs
Tofindthecorrectcodefigurebelow,startatwhichever
circleisapplicableandthenfollowthe solid line from
descriptiontodescription,solongasallcriteria are met.

CH9

Ciinvadingthesky

CH4

Ccaloneor
morethan
anyCiand
Cs
combined

NoCcorCc
lessthan
anyCiand
Cs
combined

Crowncopyright

CcaloneormorethananyCi
andCscombined

Ifadescriptionisreachedwhichisnotapplicable,returnto
thepreviousdescriptionandfollowthepeckedline.

Cspresent

Cinot
invadingthe
sky

Csnot
coveringthe
wholesky

Cscoveringthewholesky

CH7

Csnotinvadingthesky

CH8

Csexceeding45

CH6

Csnotexceeding45

CH5

CH2

Ciinfilamentsorhooksmore
thanotherCi

CH1

RKPilsbury

Csinvading
thesky

RKPilsbury

CSBroomfield

CSBroomfield

DenseCi+turretedCi+Ciin
tuftsmorethanotherCi

NodenseCi
originating
fromCb.
UseCH =1or2,
whichever
predominates

Crowncopyright

CH3

CSBroomfield

DenseCioriginatingfromCb,
present

RNHughes

RKPilsbury

NoCs

C l o u d t y p e s f o r o b s e r ve r s 2 5

CH9Cirrocumulus
(CloudGroupC1)

Realcirrocumulusisuncommon.

FNorton

Thecloudiscomposedofverysmall
elements,mostofwhichhaveanapparent
widthoflessthanthelittlefingerheldat
armslength.Theelementsnevershow
shading.Theyareoftenarrangedinripples
resemblingthoseleftbytheebbtideinthe
sandontheseashore.Thecloudelements
andclearspacesmayalsobearrangedina
manner suggesting a net or a honeycomb
(top photograph). The regular pattern of
waves and small gaps may resemble the
skin of a mackerel, thus giving rise to the
popular name mackerel sky. (This name is
also occasionally given to high altocumulus
clouds.) In hilly regions the cloud may
appearinmoreorlessisolatedpatches
whicharealmondshapedandverywhite
throughout.
Thecloudisfrequentlyassociatedwith
cirrusorcirrostratusbutcodefigure
CH=9shouldonlybeusedwhenthe
cirrocumuluspredominates.

RKPilsbury

RKPilsbury

Thecloudsshowninthephotographshad
estimatedbasesof20,000ftorabove.

Cirrocumulusstratiformis

26

C l o u d t y p e s f o r o b s e r ve r s

CH7Cirrostratuscoveringthewholesky

(CloudGroupC2)

RKPilsbury

CodefigureCH=7isonlyusedwhenaveil
ofcirrostratuscoverstheentiresky.
Althoughitmayberelativelydense,theveil
issometimessothinthat it is barely visible.
It may be distinguished from altostratus by
its thinness, which allows shadows to be
cast when the sun is not low in the sky, and
that it often displays halo phenomena.
If the sun is bright it may be difficult to see
a halo around it, but by covering the sun
with the hand it is usually possible to see
any halo quite well. The distance between
the top of the thumb and the little finger
spread wide apart at arms length is almost
as wide as the radius of the small (22)
halo. (Haloes are often spoken of in
weather lore as foreshadowing storms, but
they are too common to be reliable signs of
impending stormy weather.)
It is sometimes difficult to discern
cirrostratus through haze. Cirrostratus
differs from haze, in that haze is opalescent
or has a dirty yellowish to brownish colour.

RKPilsbury

If there are any gaps in the veil of

cirrostratus through which the blue of the
sky can be distinguished, the coding for CH
shouldbe8.
Cirrusatdifferentlevels, and cirrocumulus,
may also be present.

CSBroomfield

Thecirrostratusinthisexampleisthinandfeatureless

Halonotdetectable.Anyvariationsinthethicknessofthe
cirrostratusarenoticeablewhenthesunislowinthesky

C l o u d t y p e s f o r o b s e r ve r s 2 7

CH8Cirrostratusneitherprogressivelyinvading
theskynorentirelycoveringit(CloudGroupC2)
TheskycorrespondingtoCH8is
characterisedbythepresenceofaveilof
cirrostratuswhichisnot(ornolonger)
invadingtheskyprogressivelyandwhich
doesnotcompletelycoverit;theedgeof
theveilmaybeclearcutorfrayed.
ThecodefigureCH=8isalsousedwhen
cirrostratusoccursinpatcheswhetherthey
increaseinamountornot.

CSBroomfield

Cirrusandcirrocumulusmayalsobe
present,butshouldnotpredominateover
thecirrostratus.

RKPilsbury

Cirrostratusnotincreasing.Thephotographontherightwas
taken90minutesafterthephotographontheleft

Patchofcirrostratus

28

C l o u d t y p e s f o r o b s e r ve r s

CH5Cirrostratusincreasingbutbelow

45elevation (CloudGroupC2)

CSBroomfield

Cirrostratusinvadingtheskyprogressively
butwithitscontinuouspartstilllessthan
45abovethehorizonisthemain
characteristicofCH5.Theremaybecirrus,
frequentlyseeninbands,filaments,tufts,or
resemblingfishskeletons,aheadofthe
cirrostratus.Thecirrusmayhavedeveloped
fromCH4.(Whensuchcirruspredominates
overthecirrostratusatthesamelevelthe
Ccodeis0.)Cirrostratusnearthehorizon
maybemistakenforaltostratus,butthe
slownesswithwhichitseemstomoveor
changeitsappearancecharacterises
cirrostratus.Itiswhitishthroughoutand
differsfromhazewhichhasadirtyyellowish
tobrownishcolour.

Bracknell
Cirrostratus

CH6Cirrostratusincreasingandabove
45elevation (CloudGroupC2)
IfthecirrostratusofCH5continuesto
invadetheskysothatitiscontinuousto
morethan45abovethehorizon,without
coveringthewholesky,thecoding
becomesCH=6.Thecirrostratusgenerally
growsdenserasawholeasitprogresses,
stilloftenprecededbycirrusasdescribed
underCH5.

45

RKPilsbury

Thephotographontherightwastaken30
minutesafterthephotographontheleft.In
theearlierpicture,contrailscanbeseen
crossingthesky.Inthelaterphotograph,the
trailshaveeithermainlydispersedorhave
becomeobscuredbythethickening
cirrostratus.Smallcumuluscloudscanbe
seeninbothphotographs.

Totland,IOW
CH5(left)developingintoCH6(right)

Cirrostratusnotcompletelycoveringthesky
maybestraightedgedandclearcutasin
CH5(top).Moreoften,however,itshowsan
irregularborderasdepictedinCH6(left).

C l o u d t y p e s f o r o b s e r ve r s 2 9

CH4Cirrusprogressivelyinvadingthesky

(CloudGroupC0)

Cirrostratusshouldnotbepresent,
otherwisethecodingwouldbeCH=5or6
asthecasemaybe.

RKPilsbury

ThecirruscloudsofCH4arethesame
speciesofcirrusasthoseofCH1(page33),
butwiththeimportantdifferencethatas
CH4theyprogressivelyinvadethesky.They
generallybecomedenserasawhole.They
usuallyseemtofusetogetherinthe
directionofthehorizonfromwhichthey
firstappearedandtheforwardedgemoves
towardstheoppositepartofthehorizon.
Thecloudsoccurmostfrequentlyinthe
formofstrandstrailingfromasmallhook
ortuft,andlessfrequentlyintheformof
straightorirregularlycurvedfilaments.
Totland,IOW

Cirrusuncinus

RKPilsbury

Thecirruscloudsshowninthe
photographsonthispageweresteadily
invadingtheskyandhadanestimatedbase
of20,00025,000ft.

RKPilsbury

Cirrusfibratus

Totland,IOW

Cirrusuncinus

30

C l o u d t y p e s f o r o b s e r ve r s

CH3Densecirrusfromcumulonimbus

JFPGalvin

(CloudGroupC0)

ThecodefigureCH=3isusedonlywhen
theobserverisreasonablycertainthatat
leastoneofthedensecirruscloudsinthe
skyoriginatedfromthe upper part of a
cumulonimbus. It may be possible to see
this development if a watch can be kept on
the sky (middle photograph). Such cirrus
clouds frequently have hairy or frayed
edges and are often in the form of an anvil.
These clouds are sufficiently thick to veil
the sun, obscure its outline or even hide it.
In winter this form of cirrus can occur well
below 20,000 ft.
Other cirrus clouds may also be present.

MKidds

Wokingham,Berks
Cirrusspissatus

RKPilsbury

Reading,Berks

OvertheEnglishChannel

C l o u d t y p e s f o r o b s e r ve r s 3 1

CH2Densecirrus
(CloudGroupC0)

Thecirrusofthisspecificationfrequently
occursinentangledsheaves(top
photograph),orinpatchesthickenoughto
appeargreywhenviewedtowardsthesun
(bottomphotograph).Itdoesnotusually
increaseinamount.

RKPilsbury

CirrusofCH2mayalsooccurinnarrow
bandswithsproutingsliketurretsor
battlements(centre)andisthencalled
cirruscastellanus.Anotherspeciestakesthe
formofcirrusinsmalltufts,thelowerpart
oftenbeingmoreorlessragged(centre
inset).Thisspeciesisknownascirrus
floccus.
Cirrus of code figure CH=1mayalsobe
present,butshouldnotpredominate.

FNorton

Ifanyofthecirrushasoriginatedfromthe
upperpartofacumulonimbusthecoding
forCH shouldbe3.Sometimesthecirrusof
CH2developsintothickanvilshapeswhich
couldbemistakenfortheCH3ofa
decayingcumulonimbus.

RDWhyman

Cirrusfloccus

WGPendleton

Cirruscastellanus25,000ftbeneathother
cirrusat30,000ft

Llandyrnog,Clwyd
Base20,000ft

32

C l o u d t y p e s f o r o b s e r ve r s

RDWhyman

CH1Cirrusinfilamentsorhooksnotprogressively

invadingthesky (CloudGroupC0)

Cloudheightabout30,000ft

Thewhite,delicate,hairlikecirruscloudsof
CH1occurmostofteninnearlystraightor
somewhatcurvedfilaments(top
photograph).Sometimestheyareshaped
likecommastoppedwithahookoratuft
(middlephotograph)andinthisformthey
arepopularlycalledmarestails.The
elementsmaysometimesbearrangedina
mannersuggesting a fish skeleton with a
spinal column and filaments on either side
like ribs. Cirrus may also occur in parallel
bands, sometimes broad, which owing to
perspective may appear to converge
towards the horizon (bottom photograph).
The height of the cirrus in the photographs
opposite was at least 20,000 ft.

CSBroomfield

RKPilsbury

The cirrus of CH1doesnotprogressively

invadethe sky. This type of cloud often
occurs with other cirrus clouds, but the
high cloud should be coded as CH=1only
whenthecombinedcoverofallfilaments,
strandsandhooksexceeds the cover of all
other cirrus clouds.

C l o u d t y p e s f o r o b s e r ve r s 3 3

NOCTILUCENTCLOUDS resemblethin
cirrus,butareusuallybluishorsilvery,
sometimesorangetored,orreddishwhen
onthehorizon.Theyareextremelyrare,
beingmostcommonlyobservedonclear
midsummernightsbetweenlatitudes55
and65N.Theybecomevisibleatthesame
timeasthebrighteststarsandappearmore
brilliantaftermidnight.Theiraltitudeis
between75and90km.Particlescollected
byrocketsin1962providedstrong
indicationsthatthesecloudsconsistofice
crystals.Theyareignoredwhenassessing
CH andC.

Lyddington,Oakham

RMBlackall

NACREOUSCLOUDS resemblepalecirrus
orlenticularaltocumulusandshowvery
markedirisation,themostbrilliantcolours
occurringwhenthesunisjustbelowthe
horizon.Theyaresometimescalled
motherofpearlclouds.Theycanstillbe
distinguisheduptoabouttwohoursafter
sunsetasthingreycloudsstandingout
againstthestarrysky.Inmoonlightthey
maybevisiblethroughoutthenight.They
havebeenobservedmainlyfromNorway,at
altitudesbetween21and30km,and
Scotland.Theyareignoredwhenassessing
CH andC.

PFTomalin

Specialclouds

Pershore,Works

Contrails

CSBroomfield

Theymayproducehalophenomenawith
exceptionallypurecolours.OvertheUK
theyrarelyformbelow28,000ftinsummer
and20,000ftinwinter.Theymaycast
shadowsonthincloudsbeneaththem.
Aseriesofsuchshadowsmaybetheonly
indicationthatthereismorethanonelayer
ofcloudpresent.

SJebson

CONDENSATIONTRAILS (contrails)formin
thewakeofaircraftwhentheairis
sufficientlycoldandhumid.Theyareoften
shortlived,but,especiallywhencirrusand
cirrostratusarepresent,theymayspread
outandpersistforseveralhours.Persistent
trailsarereportedbyusingtheCH code
figuremostappropriate;sometimesitis
impossibletodistinguishbetweenoldtrails
andcloud.

Persistentcontrails

34

C l o u d t y p e s f o r o b s e r ve r s

JAWalton

Opticalphenomenaandotherfeatures

RWMason

Halo

HALOPHENOMENA Thesmallhaloof
22radiuscentredonthesunormoonis
seenmostfrequently(topphotograph).A
whitehorizontallineatthesameelevation
asthesuniscalledtheparheliccircleand
thetwobrightspotsonthis are called
mocksuns(parhelia).Mocksunsappear
further from the sun when it is higher in
the sky. The bright spot above the sun is
part of an arc of contact. Pillars of light may
appear vertically above or below the sun or
moon (second photograph) and are most
frequently seen at sunrise or sunset. These,
coupled with a portion of the parhelic
circle, may form a cross. A large, less
bright, halo of 46 radius is sometimes
seen, its arcs of contact perhaps showing
strong colouration. Rarely other arcs may
occur, but usually only part of the display is
seen. Halo phenomena are usually
associated with Cs, sometimes Ci. (Mock
suns or pillars are sometimes seen in Ac.)

JHallett

Sunpillar

CORONA A brownish ring of small

diameter around the moon or sun. In strong
daylight it may be easier to detect by
observing the sun's reflection in calm water.
Outer coloured rings with red outermost
sometimes occur. Distorted coronae may
sometimes occur when the moon is not full.
Most frequently associated with Ac,
but sometimes occurs with Cc, Cs, As, Sc,
and St.

JFreeman

IRISATION Colours, predominantly green

and pink, often with pastel shades, that
sometimes appear on Cc, Ac or Sc.
The colours may appear as bands nearly
parallel to the margins of the clouds, or as a
mosaic pattern.

Irisation

C l o u d t y p e s f o r o b s e r ve r s 3 5

Opticalphenomenaandotherfeatures(continued)

RKPilsbury

VIRGA Trailsofprecipitation(fallstreaks)
thatdonotreachtheearth'ssurface,
attachedtothe undersideofacloud.Mainly
associatedwithCc(smalltrails),Ac
(pictured),As(may be clearly visible), Ns, Sc
(especially at very low temperatures), Cu,
and Cb.

PJBNye

MAMMA Downdraughtscansometimes
causeudderlikeprotuberancestoformon
theundersurfaceofCi,Cc,Ac, As, Sc
(irregular and ragged), and Cb (bulbous,
pictured). The protuberances may appear
prominent when the sun is low in the sky.

WSPike

SMOKE City smoke and industrial

pollution causes the sun to look very red at
sunrise and sunset and to have an orange
tint when high in the sky. From a distance,
such pollution may be confused with a
bank of cloud on the horizon, but pollution
generally appears lightgrey or to have a
bluish hue.

Crowncopyright

RAINBOW Appearsonascreenof
raindropswhentheobserverhashisbackto
thesun.Alessbrightsecondarybow,with
coloursequencereversed,sometimes
occurs,withdarkerskybetweenthetwo.
Theymaybeborderedbyfainterbows.
Whenproducedbythemoonthecolours
aremuchweakerorareabsent.The
rainbowindicatesCborprecipitatinglarge
Cu.
Primaryandsecondaryrainbows

36

C l o u d t y p e s f o r o b s e r ve r s

Crowncopyright

CREPUSCULARRAYS Thesetakethe
formofpaleblueorwhiteraysdiverging
from the sun when it is behind Cu or Cb.
Sunbeams piercing small gaps in cloud
layers (sometimes called 'sun drawing
water') and shadows cast by clouds near
the horizon at twilight are also called
crepuscular rays.

Jersey.Crepuscularrays

RKPilsbury

LIGHTNING Cloudaccompaniedby
lightningisreportedasCb.

Crowncopyright

SPOUT Anoftenviolentwhirlwind,
revealedbythepresenceofafunnelof
cloudbeneathCb,witha'bush'ofmatter
raisedfromtheearth'ssurface.Thecloud
andbushoftenmeet.Spoutsoccurunder
newlyformedpartsofCb,notfromwhere
therainisfalling.Weakspoutsare
occasionallyseenbeneathCu.

Waterspout

JFPGalvin

VELUM Anaccessorycloudofgreat
horizontalextent,closeaboveorattached
totheupperpartofCuorCbwhichoften
pierceit.PicturedwithCL9C9.

C l o u d t y p e s f o r o b s e r ve r s 3 7

Otherclouds

Bigfiresmayproducedarkcloudssimilartolargecumulus.
Combustionproductsmaybecarriedbythewindtogreat
distancesandoccasionallycauseablueappearanceofthesun
ormoon.Realcumulusmayalsoform.
Volcaniceruptionsmaycauselargecumuluslikecloudsthat
mayspreadoutatahighaltitudeovervastareas.Theskythen
assumesapeculiartintwhichmaypersistforseveralweeks.

Cumulusandcumulonimbusclouds
producingshowersandthunderstormshave
formedoverScandinavia.Interaction
betweentheBalticSeaandland,heatinghas
producedlargecumulusandcumulonimbus
alongthesecoasts.

Verylargeexplosionsareusuallyaccompaniedbyacloudof
smokeordustabovewhichvelumisoftenseen.
Industrialactivitiesmayalsoproduceclouds.Fireclouds,
cloudsofsmokeordust,cloudsfromvolcaniceruptions,and
veilsofcombustionproductsareignoredwhenconsidering
thecodingforCL,CM,CH andC.However,realcumulusand
cumulonimbuscloudsthatmayresultfromsucheventsare
reportedintheusualway.

Whenthesunissufficientlyhighabovethehorizon,clouds
indirectsunlightarewhiteorgreywhilstthosewhich
receivelightfromtheblueskyarebluishgrey.Someclouds,
whicharebrilliantwhiteinreflectedlight,showmarked
contrastsinbrilliancewhenilluminatedfrombehind.The
colourofthesunmaychangeasitapproachesthehorizon
andcloudsinthevicinitymayshowacorresponding
colouration.

RKPilsbury

Appearanceofclouds

Cumulusfromapowerstation,
cirrostratusonhorizon

Theundersideofacloudmayreddenwhenthesunisonthe
horizonasshowninthepictureofstratocumulus(right).
Hazemaymakedistantcloudsappearyellow,orangeorred.
Dustparticlesintroduceawhitetingetotheblueofthesky;
thustheskyisofadeeperbluewhentheairhasitsoriginsin
polarregions.

Satelliteviewofclouds

OvertheUnitedKingdom,landheatingovertheMidlands
hascausedshallowcumulustoform.Somecirrusand
altocumulusarepresentoversouthernEnglandassociated
withthecloudoverFrance.OverWales,thenorthofEngland
andtheSouthernUplandsofScotland,largecumulusclouds
haveformedoverthehigherground.

38

C l o u d t y p e s f o r o b s e r ve r s

Stratocumulusatsunset

UniversityofDundee

Thespirallingpatternofcloudsindicatesthecentreofa
depressionsouthofIceland.Showercloudsofcumulusand
cumulonimbus,organisedintostreets,followthestrong
windsonthesouthernandeasternflanksofthedepression.
Southwestofthedepressionthecumulusflattensinto
stratocumulus.Thewidebandofcloudoffnorthwest
districtsoftheBritishIslesisassociatedwithabeltofrain,
withcloudpresentatalllevelsfromstratocumulus,
altocumulusandaltostratusuptocirrus.Thecloudover
northernFranceismostlydensecirrusandthickaltocumulus
castellanusinassociationwithalowpressurearea.

JFPGalvin

ThispicturewastakenfromaTIROSNsatelliteduringthe
earlyafternoonof12July1979.

Cloudobservationsatnight

Theskyshouldbewatchedtowardsdusktoobtainsome
guidance on the clouds which are likely to be present after
the daylight has gone.
When the sun is just below the horizon the lowest clouds
look grey, clouds at medium levels look rosecoloured and
those very high appear whitish. As nightfall approaches,
mediumlevel clouds turn grey while cirrus and aircraft
condensation trails turn yellow, then pink and finally grey.
This colour sequence is reversed at dawn.
After nightfall the sky should be observed from a dark
place, well away from lights. The observation should not
be made before the observer's eyes are adapted to the
darkness.
In moonlight, clouds are visible when the moon is more
than a quarter full. All perceptible clouds appear black to
grey, except those illuminated by the moon, which present
a whitish appearance. Halo phenomena produced by the
moon are always white. The colours of rainbows produced
by the moon are much weaker than those produced by the
sun and sometimes absent.
When the moon is less than onequarter full there may be
difficulty in identifying clouds at large angular distances
from the moon. Their existence and approximate amount
may be deduced from the blotting out of the stars,
although stars near the horizon may be blotted out by haze
alone.
The difficulties are, of course, substantially increased if
there is no moon at all. Observation of cirrus is then
difficult, but if thick and extensive it may be noted by its
dimming effect on stars. Cirrostratus causes slight diffusion
of light around each star, whose brilliance is at the same
time dimmed, but in the absence of moonlight it is almost
impossible to differentiate between cirrus and cirrostratus.

The brighter stars and planets are visible through thin veils
of cirrus, cirrocumulus and cirrostratus.
Altostratus is generally so dense that the stars are masked.
The gradual lowering of a sheet of altostratus may be very
difficult to detect, but as the base is rarely quite uniform, as
it descends, small contrasts can often be discerned on all
but the darkest nights. Nimbostratus usually develops from
thickening altostratus. If, on dark nights, doubt exists
regarding the choice of designation altostratus or
nimbostratus by convention the cloud is called
nimbostratus if rain or snow is reaching the surface.
Nimbostratus is usually associated with moderate or strong
winds and stratus with a calm or light wind, although this
criterion alone must not be used as a basis for distinction.
Fog formed over the sea and driven across the coast by an
onshore wind may appear inland as stratus cloud. Its
spread across the sky may be very rapid.
The intensity of the darkness is of some assistance in
deciding whether the sky is wholly covered or not with
dense low cloud. If there is any light at all, variation of
contrast may indicate patches of low cloud and medium or
high cloud above. Near builtup areas, clouds may often be
revealed by illumination from below, especially when snow
is lying. Sodium street lighting often casts an orange glow
on the base of the cloud. A layer of cloud so illuminated
may provide a bright background against which lower
fragments stand out in dark relief. Very low cloud may
obscure known lights on hills and tall structures. The lights
of lowflying aircraft, or when hidden by low cloud the
noise of their engines, may give a clue to the cloud
present.
Where equipment is available to measure the height of the
cloud base, the knowledge of the height of the base is also
helpful in identifying the cloud types that may be present.

C l o u d t y p e s f o r o b s e r ve r s 3 9

Distinguishingfeaturesofcloudtypes

Cloud Appearanceofsunormoon

40

Optical phenomena

Ci

Onlydensepatchesmayveilorhidethe
sun

Halo phenomena may occur, but the halo circle is

almost never complete

Cc

Usuallytransparentenoughtoshowthe
position of the sun or moon

Corona sometimes, but no halo phenomena.

Occasionally irisation on the edges of the cloud,
generally within 30 of the sun

Cs

Never thick enough to prevent shadows

when the sun is above 30. The sun's
outline will be visible, unless the sun is
close to the horizon

Halo phenomena generally produced which may

sometimes provide the only indication of thin
cirrostratus. Corona sometimes, but no irisation

Ac

May be thin enough to show position of

sun or moon, or these may be seen through
spaces in the clouds. Sometimes thick
enough to hide the sun or moon

Corona or irisation often seen. Ac castellanus and

floccus may sometimes show mock suns or a
luminous pillar

As

Thinner parts reveal the sun or moon as

though through ground glass. Denser parts
completely hide sun or moon. No shadows
are cast

Corona sometimes, but no halo phenomena

Ns

Sun or moon always blotted out. In daylight

the cloud appears as if illuminated from
within

None

Sc

Sun, moon, higher clouds or blue sky may

be seen through gaps. Thin patches may
show position of sun or moon. When
dense, sun or moon completely hidden

In extremely cold weather a halo may sometimes

occur in virga beneath Sc. When the cloud is not
very thick a corona or irisation is sometimes
observed

St

Usually so thick that sun or moon

completely hidden. When thin, outline of
sun or moon clearly visible without
groundglass effect

Corona may be produced when the cloud is very

thin

Cu

Rainbow sometimes from precipitation

Cb

Rainbow sometimes. Lightning sometimes

C l o u d t y p e s f o r o b s e r ve r s

Precipitation

RangeofcloudbaseoverBritishIsles

NonefromCi

Usually20,00040,000ft

NonefromCc

Ifatanonaviationstationtheheight
Cc
cannotreasonablybeestimated,theBritish
practiceistouseanominalheightof25,000ft,
and35,000ftforanyhighercloud

NonefromCs

CsmaythickentobecomeAs

Cs

AlthoughusuallynonefromAc,very
occasionallyrainorsnowmayreachtheEarth's
surface(usuallyfromaltocumuluscastellanus)

Usually6,50020,000ft.Ifatanonaviation
stationtheheightcannotreasonablybe
estimated,theBritishpracticeistousea
nominalheightof10,000ft,and15,000ft
foranyAcorAsabove

Ac

Whenprecipitationreachesthegrounditis
generallycontinuousrain,snoworicepellets;
thedropsareofmoderatesize.Precipitation
seldomreachesthegroundifthecloudbaseis
higherthanabout10,000ft

Altostratusmaythickenwithprogressive
loweringofthebasetobecomeNs

As

Usuallyrain,snoworicepellets,sometimes
moderateorheavy

Usuallybetweenthesurfaceand10,000ft

Ns

Rain,snow,orsnowpellets;rarely,thenonly
ofweakintensity.Drizzlemayoccur
occasionallywhenthebaseoftheScislow

Usuallybetween1,000ft*and4,500ftbut
mayoftenbeobservedto6,500ft

Sc

Onlyweakfallsofdrizzle,rain,snoworsnow
grains,butalongcoastsandinmountainous
areasamountsmaybeconsiderable.
Precipitationmayfallfromahighercloud
hiddenbySt,thendarkuniformStclosely
resembles Ns and may easily be confused with it

Usuallybetweenthesurfaceand2,000ftbut
maysometimesbeobservedto4,000ft

St

Cu with strongly sprouting cauliflower tops

may, rarely, give showers. In the tropics they
may give abundant rainfall

Usually between 1,000 ft* and 5,000 ft, but

may sometimes be observed to 6,500 ft.
After initial formation, a rise in temperature
often leads to a rise in cloud base

Cu

Usually showers or thunderstorms, often with

squalls, sometimes with hail. By convention
the cloud is called Cb if accompanied by
lightning, thunder or hail

Usually between 2,000 ft* and 5,000 ft, but

may sometimes lower to near surface, or be
as high as 6,500 ft

Cb

Cloud
Ci

*At stations substantially over 500 ft above sea level, the base will often be less

C l o u d t y p e s f o r o b s e r ve r s 4 1

Notes

42

C l o u d t y p e s f o r o b s e r ve r s

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