Rare weather phenomenon

California: Bizarre clouds cause amazement

(Bild: kameraOne (Screenshot))

A rare natural spectacle recently caused amazement in Folsom in the US state of California. In stormy weather, pouch-shaped clouds - known as mammatus clouds, a weather phenomenon that has been little researched to date - briefly adorned the sky above the small town (see video above).

The footage recorded on February 4 (see video above) shows the unusual clouds, which are reminiscent of fluffy cotton balls or breasts. The name mammatus cloud (the Latin word mammatus means breast-like, note) is derived from the latter.

Mammatus clouds (picture) are occasionally observed on the back of thunderstorms and usually disappear after only ten to 15 minutes.

(Bild: kameraOne (Screenshot))

Formed by evaporation processes
This short-lived type of cloud is occasionally observed on the back of thunderstorms and usually disappears after just ten to 15 minutes. There are various theories as to how the pouch-like formations on the underside of clouds are formed. The best-known theory is that mammatus clouds are formed by evaporation processes on the underside of clouds.

(Bild: Wilhelm Eder)

A photo taken by the author of these lines on August 6, 2017 near the Italian municipality of Misano Adriatico shortly before an approaching thunderstorm shows what an unusual appearance clouds can take on. On the 72nd anniversary of the atomic bombing of the Japanese city of Hiroshima, of all days, it had the shape of a mushroom cloud (picture above) ...