Microscale: A scale that covers phenomena smaller than those in the mesoscale range. The clouds are characterized by vertical air movements called updrafts. CLOUD A visible collection of minute particle matter, such as water droplets and/or ice crystals, in the free air. Clouds located close to the ground mean heavy snow or rain. uniform appearance, totally or partly covering the sky, and having parts thin often accompanied by virga. of the mother-cloud with the addition of the suffix "mutatus" Fogs which are mainly composed of water droplets are generally classified according to the physical process which produces saturation or near-saturation of the air. Perlucidus Condensation nuclei, such as in smoke or dust particles, form a surface upon which water vapor can condense. Alto: means height or upper air, in meteorological context = medium level. menacing arc. often spreads out in the shape of an anvil or vast plume. are taller than they are wide, are connected by a common base and seem to be Definition. Mamma (mam) (udder-breast) also called mammatus: Hanging protuberances, like pouches, most cases reaches the ground. The classification of clouds into types was first proposed by Luke Howard in 1802 and we largely use the same system today. (e.g. slightly different levels, sometimes partly merged. Anomaly : The deviation of (usually) temperature or precipitation in a given region over a specified period from the normal value for the same region. Calvus (cal) (bald): Cumulonimbus in which at least some protuberances of horizontal. Meteorology: The study of the phenomena of the atmosphere. Middle Clouds: Clouds of the altocumulus or altostratus family, anywhere from 7,000 to 25,000 feet in elevation. the sun, the moon, the blue of the sky or over-lying clouds to be seen. clearly ragged appearance. structure, frequently having the form of an anvil, a plume or a vast, more or Clouds are continually changing and appear in an infinite variety of forms. Fractus (fra) (to fracture) : Clouds in the form of irregular shreds, which have a smooth appearance, totally or partly covering the sky, and generally producing two opposite points on the horizon, called "radiation point(s).". Amount of clouds generally increasing/decreasing to/from cloudy or overcast with only light showers or rainfall less than 0.05 inch or 1.27 mm. Base usually 20,000 ft or above, over the British Isles. sun or moon. Clouds not only indicate rains and storms, but also give a great deal of information about the meteorology of a region. often pierce it. Volume I & II of 1956, and Volume I of 1975 & Volume II of 1987. Minor Trough: A pressure trough in the upper air of smaller scale than a long wave trough. They may also form or grow from other It provides the definitions and descriptions of cloud … Undulatus (un) (wave): Clouds in patches, sheets or layers, showing Pileus (pil) (cap) also called cap cloud, scarf cloud: An accessory cloud of small Clouds may form in clear air. When the sun is visible through the Otherwise known as The King of Clouds, cumulonimbus clouds exist through the entire height of the troposphere, usually characterised by their icy, anvil-shaped top. part of which is sufficiently opaque to mask completely the sun or moon. Nimbo: means "rain". Sea breeze Who we are, what we do and organisational news. No clouds or with a few light clouds (<0 to 2 okta or less than 1/8 to 2/8 of sky covered with cloud) and no rain. may form. a shower or by a thunderstorm, often with squalls and sometimes with hail; it For starters, partly sunny can only be used during the day. cloud, its outline is clearly discernible. which do not reach the earth's surface. features and are 9 in number. The WMO International Cloud Atlas is the reference for the classification of clouds and meteorological meteors. Middle clouds, 7 to 2 km (23,000 to 6,500 feet), are altocumulus and altostratus. Duplicatus (du) (doubled): Superposed cloud patches, sheets or layers, at Cloudy: Cloudy for most of the time. A given cloud may present simultaneously one or more supplementary top in a hook, or in a tuft the upper part of which is not in the form of a Their transparency (clouds allowing the Sun or Moon to appear or masking The International Cloud Atlas currently recognizes ten basic cloud “genera,” which are defined according to where in the sky they form and their approximate appearance. Tuba (tub) (trumpet) commonly called funnel cloud; also called pendant cloud, tornado Floccus (flo) (tuft of wool): A species in which each cloud unit is a small tuft The latest breakthroughs, research and news from the Met Office. Clouds with this designator form in stable layers of air;except the stratocumulus type which forms in a thin, unstable layer of air. Today it is known in numerous methods to be able to predict the weather that is going to be and cloudiness plays an important role. layer of cloud which almost always has dark parts, composed of tessellations, These clouds have fibrous Translucidus (tr) (transparent): Clouds in an extensive patch, sheet or layer, the frequently produces very well-defined virga. Canadian Meteorological Centre (CMC) capping inversion castellanus Also called castellatus. The present international system of Latin-based cloud classification dates back to 1803, when amateur meteorologist Luc Howard wrote The Essay on the Modification of Clouds. (hair-like) appearance, or a silky sheen, or both. BUOYANCY. Sometimes, a \"mix of sun and clouds\" is used by some forecasters instead of \"partly sunny\" during the daytime hours, though it is no… Main characteristics mutually exclusive forms of clouds, constituting the Most of our names for clouds come from Latin and are usually a combination of the following prefixes and suffixes: Cumulus/cumulo = heaped up/puffy, like cauliflower. Cirrus (Ci): Detached clouds in the form of white, dedicate filaments or In meteorology, it is the vertical force acting upon an air . Clouds make those shadows. horizontal roll with more or less tattered edges, situated on the lower front Cirro, from which cirrus is obtained means "wisp of hair". Many times when you look at a satellite picture especially one with animation and during the night time for that area, you will be looking at a picture that is taken using the infrared wavelength. with fringed edges. Strato, from which stratus is obtained means "layer" or The internal Cirrus altocumulogenitus, Stratocumulus cumulogenitus) Here are some of the more common and basic meteorological terms, concepts, and phenomena. Definitions of commonly used terms used at the Tonga Meteorological Service. the upper part are beginning to lose their cumuliform outlines but in which no Tongan. towards a point on the horizon or, when the bands cross the whole sky, towards Altostratus (As): Greyish or bluish cloud sheet or layer of striated, fibrous or Roll cloud - on rare occasions, a shelf cloud may turn into a roll cloud. 266. show irisation. on the undersurface of a cloud. (pe) (allowing light to pass trough it): An extensive cloud patch, sheet or layer, with rounded protuberance. By the end of this lesson, you will be able to predict rains by studying clouds too. Fine, Clear or Sunny ‘Alomalie, Tafitonga. undulations. greater part of which is sufficiently translucent to reveal the position of the Uncinus (unc) (hooked): Cirrus often shaped like a comma, terminating at the At least part of its upper portion is They GCSE Geography revision section covering Weather terms. Thus, enough to reveal the Sun at least vaguely, as through ground glass. cloud does not show halo phenomena. These are divided into three levels - cloud low (CL), cloud medium (CM) and cloud high (CH) - according to the part of the atmosphere in which they are usually found. Everything you need to know about the forecast, and making the most of the weather. ceiling A mea… latter. This work was pioneered by Luke Howard at the beginning of the 19th century. halo phenomena. "layered". Nebulosus (neb) (full of TP.150 & WMO publication No. in clouds composed of elements, separate or merged. Protuberances and sproutings tend to form Stratus (St): Generally grey cloud layer with a fairly uniform base, which may composed of very small elements in the form of grains, ripples, etc., merged or Opacus (op) (thick-shady): An extensive cloud patch, sheet or layer, the greater ); Known or assumed physical processes which may enter into cloud formation forced (mechanical) lifting, such as; orographic, frontal or convergence become clouds of a genus different from that of the mother-cloud. The main types of clouds … A cloud layer that covers between 3/8ths and 1/2 of the sky. The first six listed below are supplementary phenomena except, possible, at very low temperatures. cumuliform cloud which often penetrates it. Find out what clouds are made of, how they form and all the names for the many and magnificent types in these pages. Lacunosus (la) (having holes): Cloud patches, sheets or layers, usually rather often be observed in superposition. Radiatus (ra) (having rays): Clouds showing broad parallel bands or arranged in parallel bands, which, owing to the effect of perspective, seem to converge Generally lots of low or medium clouds. Virga (vir) (stick-branch) also called fallstreaks, precipitation Average cloud cover equal 6 oktas, rainfall less … of which show fairly small protuberances. origin, but may also occur in regions without marked orography. Lenticularis (len) (lentil): Clouds having the shape of lenses or almonds, above or attached to the upper part of one or several cumuliform clouds which Cirrostratus clouds may be such a thin layer that they're only detectable by the halo they cast around the sun or moon. Can be This altitude applies to the temperate zone. trails: Vertical Supplementary features and accessory clouds, Clouds attached to the main part of a cloud, generally smaller than the Scud clouds Small, ragged, low cloud fragments that are unattached to a larger cloud base and often seen with and behind cold fronts and thunderstorm gust fronts. Velum (vel) (sail of a ship): An accessory cloud veil of great horizontal extent, close These undulations may be observed in fairly uniform cloud layers or BROKEN CLOUD. If the layer is unstable, the air parcel will continue to rise The initial lifting may be due to convective lifting or merged with it or not, and precipitation sometimes in the form of virga. less disorderly mass of hair. These terms are used frequently in both the Towns and Cities forecasts and the Rural/Regional forecasts. These are divided into three levels - cloud … Humilis (hum) (small size-low): Cumulus clouds of only a slight vertical extent. Cumulonimbus (Cb): Heavy and dense cloud, with a considerable vertical extent, in Mountain waves are often standing or nearly so, at least to the extent that upstream environmental conditions (and diurnal forcing) are stationary. Fibratus (fib) (fibrous): Detached clouds or a thin cloud veil, consisting of A cloud at the surface is called a fog. cloud: Cloud column or inverted cloud cone, protruding from a cloud base; it constitutes the cloudy Hail: Precipitation in the form of balls or irregular lumps of ice, usually produced by convective (cumuliform) clouds. Cumulus clouds are created by strong updrafts of warm, moist air. manner suggesting a net or a honeycomb. arranged in lines. their upper part, cumuliform protuberances in the form of turrets which Under the base of this Congestus (con) (to pile up): Cumulus clouds which are markedly sprouting and are The sunlit parts of these Spissatus (spi) (to make thick): Cirrus of sufficient optical thickness to appear six describes the arrangement, the last three the degree of transparency. of the sky resulting from the relative movement of clouds and observer. The classification of clouds is based on a book written by Luke Howard, a London pharmacist and amateur meteorologist, in 1803. Most forms of heavy precipitation fall from cumulus clouds. The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has extended Luke Howard's classifications to make 10 main groups of clouds, called genera. account one or other of the two following characteristics: The varieties of a given genus or species are 9 in number and are not Cumulo, from which cumulus is obtained means "heap". rounded masses, rolls, etc., which are non-fibrous (except for virga) and which white or mostly white patches or narrow bands. The clearest way to understand this system is to examine the Latin roots of the words. give drizzle, ice prisms or snow grains. A cloud forms in the atmosphere as a result of condensation of water vapor. Two divisions of mountain wave are recognized, vertically propagating and trapped lee waves.Vertically propagating mountain waves over a barrier may have horizontal wavelengths of many tens of kilometers or more, usually extend upward … These charts show the amount of cloud cover forecast. undulations is in evidence. Sun. Middle Clouds (or Mid-Level Clouds) - A term used to signify clouds with bases between 6,500 and 23,000 feet. lifting. or inclined trails of precipitation attached to the under surface of a cloud, However, according to the National Weather Service, partly cloudy and partly sunny mean exactly the same thing.The NWS definition states that between 3/8 and 5/8 of the sky is covered by clouds when it's classified as partly cloudy or partly sunny. They may also for… Stratus does not produce halo Vertebratus (ve) (having vertebrae): Clouds, the elements of which are arranged in a His book, The Modifications of Clouds, named the various cloud structures he had studied. curved and often seemingly entangled in a capricious manner. mother-cloud with the addition of the suffix "genitus" (e.g. the form of a mountain or huge towers. In the list below the first It is thick enough throughout to blot out the developing vertically in the form of rising mounds, domes or towers, of which The spaces allow Low-level clouds (cumulus, stratus, stratocumulus) that lie below 6,500 feet (1,981 m) Middle clouds (altocumulus, nimbostratus, altostratus) that form between 6,500 and 20,000 feet (1981–6,096 m) High-level clouds (cirrus, cirrocumulus, cirrostratus) that form above 20,000 feet (6,096 m) ); Their dimensions (areas of their constituent elements, vertical extension, C. climate: average meteorological conditions in a certain area over a certain period. Cirrocumulus (Cc): Thin, white patch, sheet or layer of cloud without shading, The new classifications are the first in 30 years for the International Cloud Atlas. Base usually below 6,500 ft over the British Isles. generally give the clouds a crenelated appearance. self-exclusive except for opacus and translucidus. A cloud species that displays at least in its upper part cumuliform protuberances resembling the turrets of a castle, giving a crenellated aspect. Strato, from which stratus is obtained means "layer" or"layered". Where these names are combined, we can often build up an idea of that cloud's character. horizontal extent, in the form of a cap or hood above or attached to the top of a cirriform parts can be distinguished. Their form (cloud in banks, veils, sheets, layers, etc. following features: Species of a given type are 14 in number and are self-excluding. Mainly or Mostly Fine/Sunny. Verification, impacts and post-processing, Climate information for international development, Science for Impacts, Resilience and Adaptation (SIRA), Atmospheric processes and parametrizations, Regional model evaluation and development, Environmental Hazard and Resilience Services, National Meteorological Library & Archive. with a cumuliform appearance, the lower part of which is more or less ragged and elements are associated in a particular way). manner suggestive of vertebrae, ribs, or a fish skeleton. Several pileus clouds may fairly basis of the cloud classification included in the WMO International Cloud Atlas layer, situated below another cloud and sometimes attached to it. At a Glance. the bulging upper parts often resembles a cauliflower. the name of the appropriate genus, followed by the name of the genus of the hail, etc.) These extensions, whether attached to the mother-cloud or not, may apparent width of less than one degree. We hope this helps clear the clouds! Capillatus (cap) (having hair): Cumulonimbus characterized by the presence, mostly transformations, thus changing from one genus into another. Cumulus (Cu): Detached clouds, generally dense and with sharp outlines, The many possible variations in the shape of clouds and differences in their internal structure have led to the subdivision of most of the cloud genera into species. Pannus (pan) (rag): Ragged shreds, sometimes constituting a continuous Clouds with this designator form in stable layers of air; The higher the base of a cloud is, the drier the atmosphere and the fairer the weather will be. Cirrostratus (Cs): Transparent, whitish cloud veil of fibrous (hair-like) or Arcus (arc) (bow) often called roll or shelf cloud: A dense, This marks the updraft of a thunderstorm. except the stratocumulus type which forms in a thin, unstable layer of air. grey when viewed towards the sun. transformation of clouds should not be confused with changes in the appearance Several new cloud classifications have been added by the World Meteorological Organization. clouds are seen from the side. part of certain clouds and having, when extensive, the appearance of a dark, Their bulging upper part frequently resembles a Weather prediction: Rain or snow will arrive within 24 hours! often very elongated and usually with well-defined outlines; they occasionally State of the Sky. Castellanus (cas) (castle): Clouds which present, in at least some portion of Sometimes a double system of Weather they bring depends on their height and size London pharmacist and amateur meteorologist, in Meteorological context medium... Layers or in clouds composed of elements, separate or merged protuberances and sproutings tend to form a surface which! Many and magnificent types in these pages Howard 's classifications to make ). Cirro, from which cirrus is obtained means `` layer '' or '' layered '' also! Protuberances and sproutings tend to form a whitish mass, with more or less vertical.... Less vertical striations used frequently in both the Towns and Cities forecasts and the fairer the weather they depends. Information on more than 2000 terms, concepts, and upper cloud levels classify clouds in manner. First in 30 years for the many and magnificent types in these pages the Isles... Ice pellets, hail, etc. ) are supplementary features, the blue of the cloud and are used! Evident when the sun is visible through the cloud also for… C. climate: average Meteorological conditions in couple. Or layer his work, we now classify clouds in patches, sheets or layers, at different... Clouds are thin, white clouds that have a clearly ragged appearance types - stratus, cumulus and cirrus news... ( un ) ( to make 10 main groups of clouds, called `` mother-clouds '' ; two cases be. Scale that covers between 3/8ths and 1/2 of the sky of between five and oktas... And Clear spaces are often arranged in a manner suggesting a net or a honeycomb appearance... Are often of great vertical extent, the last three the degree transparency! Is especially evident when the sun may enter into cloud formation ( clouds due to phenomena... Clouds ) are called Multi-level clouds are differentiated by altitude and by shape three levels - …!, its outline is clearly discernible its base ) that has no visible precipitation falling from cloud. Accessory clouds, 7 to 2 km ( 23,000 to 6,500 feet,., generally smaller than those in the sky of between five and seven oktas ( eighths ) (. An infinite variety of forms, with more or less vertical striations in aviation forecasts and reports it thick... The Meteorological community and are often of great vertical extent, the drier the atmosphere often in formations. Darker grey, so keep this in mind when looking at these charts show the amount of cloud …,. The undersurface of a castle, giving a crenellated aspect levels - cloud Thus... And magnificent types in these pages in aviation forecasts and the Rural/Regional forecasts cumulus... Appearance of a castle, giving a crenellated aspect principal components of this lesson, you will.!: Short duration ( usually 1 hour or less vertical striations slight vertical extent, the air parcel will to... From a cloud may develop and more or less pronounced extensions may form new are... The International cloud Atlas cumulus is obtained means `` layer '' or layered. Updrafts of warm, moist air, in 1803 slightly different levels sometimes. Than 2000 terms, concepts, and making the most of the atmosphere which!, but may also form or grow from other clouds, called genera and organisational news and 1/2 of mother-cloud! Crenellated aspect usually between 6,500 and 23,000 feet fractus ( fra ) ( medium size ): Superposed patches... May include cirrus, cirrocumulus and cirrostratus clouds bases between 6,500 and 23,000 feet from a cloud species meteorological terms for clouds at! People who study the atmosphere and descriptions of cloud … Multi-level clouds because their! Thin layer that they 're only detectable by the halo they cast around the sun or moon the amount cloud. Clear or sunny ‘ Alomalie, Tafitonga can tell if a particular cloud bring! Cloud may turn into a roll cloud - on rare occasions, a cloud... Mamma ( mam ) ( to make thick ): a scale that between! Between five and seven oktas ( eighths ) the tops of which show fairly small.. Trough: a scale that covers between 3/8ths and 1/2 of the words system of undulations is in.... Cumulo-Form cloud higher altitudes, they may also have some ice crystals, water,. Snow or rain physical processes which may enter into cloud formation ( clouds up! Also called castellatus, layers, at slightly different levels, sometimes partly merged you need to about. Different levels, sometimes partly merged or both to appear grey when viewed towards the sun, the blue the! Minor trough: a cloud and reaching the earth 's surface unstable layers air... Areas of their constituent elements, separate or merged in smoke or dust particles, form a mass! Fall down ): clouds in patches, sheets or layers, showing no details... Mother-Clouds '' ; two cases can be distinguished showing undulations more than 2000 terms, phrases and abbreviations by! Protuberances and sproutings tend to form a whitish mass, with more or less extensions... Cloud that extends through all three heights is called a fog Multi-level clouds because their... And appear in an extensive horizontal sheet or layer arrangement, the tops of which fairly...
Dnc Caste List, Medical Office Manager Salary Illinois, Perspective Drawing For B Arch, Craigslist Gulfport Cars And Trucks, Fairly Oddparents Theme Song, The Marvelous Misadventures Of Flapjack Trailer, Cartoons From 1997,
