Name of this cloud formation ?

[Mad Murdoch]

Can someone please let me know the name of this cloud formation.

thanks

[MAF]

sorry but i cant help there Kelly, the picture is stunning though, there seems to be a mixture of clouds forming must admit i have never seen a formation like that before

[Guest Shetland Coastie]

Looks to me like some stratocumulus with a burst of rain in the middle of it but im no expert!

[Nick F]

Looks like a low-topped cumulonimbus to me.

[MAF]

so is that the cloud going all the way down to the sea surface. or is it a curtain of rain below the cloud?

[Nick F]

Rain/hail curtain from cloud base to the surface I think Mick

[Paul Sherman]

Yep

I agree with Nick. A very small Cb, think you will find the main part of the Cb is behind the Anvil which is glaciating at the top. The front and back of the cell is Rain free with the precip core where it should be for a Coastal Shower (Right In the Middle), also looks to be decaying to me and in its last throws of Life, these Cells usually pulse up and down as they move along the Coast.

Paul S

[Zenarcher]

Looks like a cumulonnimbus to me or a swelling cumulus. The cumulonimbus produces localized heavy showers. Light showers sometimes fall from widespread continous rain. Sometimes very light drizzle or mist sometimes falls out of low but thick stratus clouds. The culumulonimbus can provide threatical sky shows. As the growing cloud pushes above the freezing level, the top makes a striated appreance due to the presence of ice crystals. Hail stones from the bottom of the base may fall. Also it displays lighting and tornado funnels may drop from the base.

[A.J]

yep, looks like a regular dissipating Cb with anvil....Looks like an optical illusion has been created giving the effect that its raining over the sea, but on closer inspection, the rain looks to be several miles inland

[MAF]

Rain/hail curtain from cloud base to the surface I think Mick

cheers mate

bit difficult to distinguish, stunning effect though

[Paul Sherman]

Looks like a cumulonnimbus to me or a swelling cumulus. The cumulonimbus produces localized heavy showers. Light showers sometimes fall from widespread continous rain. Sometimes very light drizzle or mist sometimes falls out of low but thick stratus clouds. The culumulonimbus can provide threatical sky shows. As the growing cloud pushes above the freezing level, the top makes a striated appreance due to the presence of ice crystals. Hail stones from the bottom of the base may fall. Also it displays lighting and tornado funnels may drop from the base.

Has that been copied off the Net

The bolded bit gave it away

[Nick F]

The glaciated anvil is tilted well forward of the base by the looks of it - due to strong horizontal speed shear or strong winds aloft. Definately in its mature stages that cell though and the anvil will soon be 'orphaned' of it base which will tend to rain out/evaporate while the glaciated top remains.

[Mad Murdoch]

Thanks guys, I now know what the put on the write up for it when its put in the gallery...

[devon lad]

Looks like a low-topped cumulonimbus to me.

Absolutelly, especially if taken when it was decaying (perhaps in the late afternoon or evening?).

dl

[Mad Murdoch]

Was taken in the late afternoon after one cracker of a thunder storm.

[johnholmes]

yes it a Cb (Cumulonimbus), rather typical of them in the winter period, fairly low tops as opposed to the heights they reach in summer; still fairly active as you can see the ppn falling from the base, probably just about reaching its post mature stage. The cloud spreading out is Sc(Stratocumulus)

[Zenarcher]

:lol: Has that been copied off the Net :lol:

The bolded bit gave it away

Nope it hasnt.

I read books about clouds so thats where it got it from.