What's going on here?

[poseidon]

Can anyone give a techy explanation of the cloud formations in these photos taken near my house a year or so ago?

[poseidon]

Thanks for the informative reply. The date on the photos is 7th July 2012. The first one was taken at 15.00 and the second at 17.30, near Great Dunmow, Essex.

I think it was a stormy day with plenty of cloud convection. When I took the first street shot there was lots of mamatus cloud right overhead and the sky was a strange colour.

With the second [field] shot, we sometimes see big convective clouds forming across the ridge line, and sometimes a line of them in summer - it can be quite spectacular - I've attached a couple of examples.

That area seems to act as a "seed" area for clouds.

[Sprites]

Can anyone give a techy explanation of the cloud formations in these photos taken near my house a year or so ago?

(non techy explanation) The second photo looks like a humid day with a capping inversion, the lower dark base marks an area below an updraught that is trying to build through the inversion, this could lead to scattered showers, and perhaps an isolated heavy shower with a low risk of thunder.

[poseidon]

Sprites, can you explain what features point to a capping inversion. Cheers.

[chionomaniac]

Thanks for the informative reply. The date on the photos is 7th July 2012. The first one was taken at 15.00 and the second at 17.30, near Great Dunmow, Essex.

I think it was a stormy day with plenty of cloud convection. When I took the first street shot there was lots of mamatus cloud right overhead and the sky was a strange colour.

With the second [field] shot, we sometimes see big convective clouds forming across the ridge line, and sometimes a line of them in summer - it can be quite spectacular - I've attached a couple of examples.

That area seems to act as a "seed" area for clouds.

Hi poseidon.

It may be worth looking through here to see if there is any relevent info on how that day progressed.

http://forum.netweather.tv/topic/73806-uk-convective-general-discussion-forecasts-7th-july-2012/

[Sprites]

Sprites, can you explain what features point to a capping inversion. Cheers.

Layers of grey cloud above the low base in the second photo, and the clouds left and right of the low base are ware rising clouds have flattened out and spread to form a layer of stratocumulus, this is the temperature inversion that can stop clouds growing vertically, though it looks like it's a low-altitude inversion in the photo which may allow some clouds to grow through this stable layer with enough heat or convergance ,or cold air arriving above it etc... to eventually create storms..

[poseidon]

chionomaniac - thanks for the thread link - I'm in the process of reading, looks like a busy day, but not so much reported down in my direction.

Any thoughts on the first street photo?

[poseidon]

Anybody any thoughts on the first street photo?

[poseidon]

Took these pictures a month ago. The cloud shown built up in front of my eyes with the bottom extending down, frothing and swirling around. It appeared to be an offshoot from another cloud. It ended up shaped a bit like a pyramid. The day was sunny, but with big clouds producing some hail. I'd be interested in any comments.

 

 

[Sprites]

A small shelf cloud ware downdraughts are spreading out from the rain/hail, causing moist air to rise and forming the shelf perhaps...?

[poseidon]

Yes, definitely looks like a mini version of shelf cloud pictures on Google. Thanks.

[Arnie Pie]

This may help in your search( I would love to know what`s going on ),,,,,,  the same kind of looking clouds over Birmingham, last year.

 

towards the end of the time lapse

 

http://youtu.be/ddmnU_6IDPk