The smallest rain cloud. Types of clouds: what are they

How often clouds can tell you what stage the weather is in when you don't have an official forecast. In this case, some clouds can tell about the coming weather. Usually, ordering clouds to change in a certain sequence is better for forecasting than just determining the type of clouds. It is not always easy to determine the type of clouds. Almost always there are several types of them at the same time in the sky, and they change their shape over time.
Clouds- These are the smallest drops of water or ice crystals suspended in the atmosphere and visible in the sky from the surface of the earth. Clouds are everywhere, in any part of our planet. However, in nature there are also rare species that few people were lucky enough to see.
Let's take a closer look the most rare species clouds.

Thunder collar- rare long clouds that usually form ahead of advancing cold fronts. Air currents in a thunderstorm collar can only circulate around its horizontal axis.
The reason for the formation of a thunderstorm collar is in the process of condensation of warm, moist air rising and cooling below the dew point, which occurs along the entire length along an elongated air front.

Lenticular (lenticular) clouds formed on the crests of air waves or between two layers of air. An amazing feature of these clouds is that they do not move and stand in the sky, as if glued, no matter how strong the wind is.
Clouds usually hang on the lee side of mountain ranges, behind ridges and individual peaks at a height of 2 to 15 kilometers.
The appearance of lenticular clouds indicates that the air has a sufficiently high moisture content. This is usually associated with the approximation atmospheric front.

Noctilucent (night glowing) clouds- the highest cloud formations appearing at altitudes of 75-95 km. The time of discovery of this type of clouds is considered to be the year 1885.

You can observe noctilucent clouds only in the summer months: in the Northern Hemisphere in June-July, in southern hemisphere at the end of December and January. In addition, these clouds are so thin that they are not visible during the day, even against a clear sky.

Fallstreak effect in cirrocumulus clouds- a large circular gap, which, due to the rarity of such a phenomenon, is often mistaken for a UFO.
Such "holes" in the clouds are formed when the water temperature in them is below zero, but it has not yet frozen. When some of the water in the cloud starts to freeze, it sometimes settles on the ground, forming large "holes".

Vymoid clouds(Mammatus clouds) have an unusual cellular shape. They are rare and mainly in tropical latitudes, because. they are associated with the formation of tropical cyclones.
Cloud cells usually have a size of about 0.5 km, and are most often clearly distinguishable, although they sometimes have blurry edges.
The clouds are a blue-gray color, like the main cloud, however, due to the sun's rays, they may appear golden or reddish.

Wavy clouds.

Rainbow in the cloud- a phenomenon similar to those observed in the oil film in puddles. It is most commonly found in altocumulus, cirrocumulus and lenticular clouds.
When sunlight collides with small water drops or ice crystals in a cloud that have different size, the refraction of light causes a gamut of colors called iridescence.

protruding clouds(Shelf clouds) can usually be seen before a thunderstorm, although they can also precede a front of relatively cold air.
The protruding clouds are similar to, but distinct from, a storm collar, as they are always associated with a large cloud system hidden above.

Fire clouds or pyrocumulus(Pyrocumulus cloud, fire cloud) are formed during intense air heating near the earth's surface.
This type of cloud can occur during forest fires, volcanic eruption, atomic explosion.

ray clouds(actinoform) were discovered in the 1960s. Their name comes from the Greek word for "beam" and is related to their radial structure.
Their sizes can reach up to 300 kilometers in diameter, so they can only be seen from a satellite. Currently, scientists cannot give an exact explanation of how this rare type of cloud is formed.

Polar stratospheric(mother-of-pearl) clouds form at altitudes of 15 to 25 km in cold regions of the stratosphere (temperatures below -80C).
In the entire history of atmospheric physics, polar stratospheric clouds have only been observed about 100 times. The thing is that in the stratosphere the concentration of water vapor is several thousand times less than in the lower part of the atmosphere (troposphere).

cloud hat A small, rapidly changing, horizontal, altostratus cloud that is usually found above cumulus and cumulonimbus clouds. May form above an ash or fire cloud during a volcanic eruption.

morning glory(Morning Glory) - long horizontal clouds similar to rotating pipes: up to 1000 km in length, from 1 to 2 km in height. They are only 100 to 200 meters above the ground and can move at a speed of 60 km/h.
The formation of the Morning Gloria is often accompanied by a sudden squally wind. In the spring, over the city of Burktown in Queensland (Australia), it can be observed more or less constantly and predictably.

Rough waves(Undulatus asperatus) were identified as a separate cloud species only in 2009.
In appearance, these are the most sinister and devilish clouds. They look like a seething sea, a dark, intricately "rumpled" surface.
Some even link the appearance of Undulatus asperatus clouds to the alleged apocalyptic events of 2012.

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How often can clouds tell you what stage weather conditions are in when you don't have an official forecast. In this case, some clouds can tell about the coming weather. Usually, ordering clouds to change in a certain sequence is better for forecasting than just determining the type of clouds. It is not always easy to determine the type of clouds. Almost always there are several types of them at the same time in the sky, and they change their shape over time.

Clouds are characterized by their height and shape. There are high clouds. Mid-level clouds and low clouds. Within each altitude characteristic, rounded, massive clouds are distinguished - cumulus(Cumulus), light, smoky or striped - pinnate(Cirrus) and monotonous cloud layers - layered(Stratus). From a practical point of view, it is most often useful to classify clouds according to the principle that they either lie in layers, which is the result of relative air stability, or appear as separate, rounded shapes, representing the vertical movement and instability of air masses. Valuable, for example, for weather forecasting in the mountains, will be to establish features air mass, based on the nature of the clouds we observe. To recognize clouds, it is also important to have cloud waves in them and to know the difference between what high clouds and low clouds can tell. In addition, clouds are characterized by the state of water in them - whether it is water droplets (in low clouds), or ice crystals (in high clouds), or their mixture with water (mainly in mid-level clouds). This is important for squall formations where lightning, rain, snow, etc. can be expected.

There are 12 main types of clouds. Their definition, significance, identification and differentiation is necessary for practical application in weather forecasting:

"High"- means located above the height of 5 - 6 km. This is the zone of "jet streams", or as we say, the wind overhead. These winds are sometimes referred to as "storm paths". Their property is a high speed - more than 50 knots, and a constant direction - the west. It is these air currents at the top that bring all the changes in the weather in the middle latitudes.

Since air temperature drops with height (6 degrees C per 1 km), it is more important to characterize high clouds by temperature. Water vapor at this altitude freezes, so all the clouds at this level are formed from ice crystals. Unlike low clouds, consisting of water droplets. All high clouds are cirrus type clouds - “tails”, stratus, fragments irregular shape or thin translucent, cumulus. The word "cirrus" (cirrus) in cloud names applies only to high clouds, while "cumulus" (cumulus) or "stratus" (stratus) can be applied to clouds of any height level.

"Low" clouds are located below a height of 2 km. It is not easy to estimate the height of clouds on the sea, whereas on land, you can compare it with, say, known height peaks of the neighboring mountain. "Fair weather cumulus" is usually located at the top of this level, ie. from 1200 to 2000 meters from the ground. When you see these well-formed, relatively small, soft-shaped white clouds in the sky, they can serve as a clue to your altitude: all clouds at this and lower altitudes are low clouds, and above are medium and high. Low clouds sometimes lie on the ground. It can be stratus clouds and fog. Cloud bases can form at the dew point because, by definition, the dew point is the temperature at which invisible water vapor condenses into visible clouds. Take surface air temperature minus dew point, divide by 4 and multiply by 300 meters. The result obtained will be the height at which the air temperature is equal to the dew point, and clouds form there. On dry days, cumulus clouds are higher than on wet days. The direction of movement of low cumulus clouds is almost the same as that of the surface wind. This direction may slightly deviate to the right, due to the fact that more high wind does not experience friction with the ground. Standing facing the wind, you will see low cumulus clouds running from the direction of about 30 degrees to the right. Over water, this deviation is less - about 15 degrees, because the friction of air on water is less.

Mid-level clouds are always located between high and low clouds. Their names use the prefix "alto", which in the terminology of clouds defines exactly these middle-level clouds. Although they are called, for example, "high-stratus", these are medium-level stratus clouds, as opposed to "cirrostratus" (high clouds) and simply "stratus" (low clouds).

But there are types of clouds that are quite rare events nature. They have very unusual shapes, colors and little-understood features, what kind of weather can such clouds bring?

1. They are located at an altitude of about 15 - 25 km in the stratosphere and troposphere. Their colors are unusual - iridescent, iridescent. Such clouds can be found in winter under conditions far north: Alaska, Scandinavian countries, Northern Canada. They differ from other clouds in that they stand out brightly in the sunset sky after sunset.

2. "Vymyaobrazny" clouds (Tubular). These clouds have a bizarre shape resembling an udder. At a low height of the Sun above the horizon, they can acquire a gray-blue, gray-pink, golden and even reddish color. The appearance of these clouds always heralds thunderstorms, and the clouds themselves can be several kilometers from the center of the thunderstorm.

3. Altocumulus Castelanus.Clouds-jellyfish, so named for their resemblance to the inhabitants of the sea, are formed at the junction of the humid air of the Gulf Stream and the dry air of the atmosphere. The middle of the cloud becomes similar to the body of a jellyfish, and the “tentacles” of the cloud form evaporated raindrops.

4. . Extremely rare formations. Noctilucent clouds - a very thin, almost transparent layer of clouds at an altitude of 82-102 km, noticeable due to their faint glow against the night sky. The noctilucent clouds are thought to be composed of ice crystals and particles of volcanic and meteor dust that scatter sunlight. Their brilliance in the night sky is explained by the fact that they reflect the light of the Sun invisible on the "night" side of the Earth. You can see them only at dusk, when they are illuminated by the sun from behind the horizon. During the day they are not visible.

5. Mushroom clouds - clouds of smoke in the form of a mushroom, formed as a result of the combination of the smallest particles of water and earth, or as a result of a powerful explosion. Most often they are associated with atomic explosion, but any relatively powerful explosion can produce the same effect.

These thin spiral curls are the rarest clouds found in nature. The duration of their "life" is one or two minutes, which is why seeing them with your own eyes is a great success.

7. "Lenticular" clouds () have such strange shape that an outside observer will be reminded of a UFO. Their peculiarity is that at the very strong wind they remain motionless. These clouds are excellent predictors of an approaching atmospheric front, storm or storm. Residents are especially familiar with these "predictors". mountainous areas. These clouds, known as altocumulus, have a permanent shape that forms extremely high and usually aligns at right angles to the direction of the wind.

Lenticular clouds form on the crests of air waves or between two layers of air. characteristic feature of these clouds is that they do not move, no matter how strong the wind is. A continuous process takes place in them - the air rises above the level of condensation, water vapor thickens, on the downward path the water drops evaporate, and the cloud ends. That is why lenticular clouds do not change their position in space, but stand in the sky as if glued. The appearance of lenticular clouds indicates that there are strong horizontal air currents in the atmosphere, forming waves over mountain obstacles, that the air has a rather high moisture content. This is usually associated with the approach of an atmospheric front or with an energetic transfer of air from remote areas.

Cloud over Ayu-Dag in Crimea

These are low, horizontal clouds, as if twisted into tubes. They are harbingers of strong gusts of wind, thunderstorms, cold fronts. From afar, they are very reminiscent of a tornado column, only not vertical, but horizontal.

These low and patchy clouds do not portend rain, but rather indicate good weather. Their peculiarity is that they are located in the sky in the form of regular rows or waves.

A low, horizontal, trumpet-shaped squall collar cloud associated with a thunderstorm front, or sometimes a cold front. They may also be a sign of possible microburst activity.

12. Clouds "Morning Glory".

These are the only clouds that have a proper name. "Morning Glory" is like a rolling cloud up to 1000 km long, 1-2 km high, moving at a speed of up to 40 km/h. These clouds arise mainly off the coast of Australia, in places with high humidity and high atmospheric pressure. The sun heats up the front of the cloud and in it there is an upward movement of air, which twists the cloud. Imagine a powerful wave that has a single crest and moves without changing speed or shape - this is what this cloud looks like.

The concept of "cloudiness" refers to the number of clouds observed in one place. Clouds, in turn, are called atmospheric phenomena formed by a suspension of water vapor. The classification of clouds includes many of their types, divided by size, shape, nature of formation and altitude.

In everyday life, special terms are used to measure cloudiness. Expanded scales for measuring this indicator are used in meteorology, maritime affairs and aviation.

Meteorologists use a ten-point cloud scale, which is sometimes expressed as a percentage of coverage of the observable sky (1 point - 10% coverage). In addition, the height of cloud formation is divided into upper and lower tiers. The same system is used in maritime affairs. Aeronautical meteorologists use a system of eight octants (parts of the visible sky) with a more detailed indication of the height of the clouds.

A special device is used to determine the lower boundary of the clouds. But only aviation weather stations are in dire need of it. In other cases, a visual assessment of the height is made.

Cloud types

Cloudy play important role in the formation weather conditions. Cloud cover prevents the Earth's surface from heating and prolongs the process of its cooling. Cloud cover significantly reduces daily temperature fluctuations. Depending on the amount of clouds at a certain time, several types of cloudiness are distinguished:

1. "Clear or partly cloudy" corresponds to cloudiness of 3 points in the lower (up to 2 km) and middle tiers (2 - 6 km) or any amount of clouds in the upper (above 6 km).
2. "Changing or variable" - 1-3/4-7 points in the lower or middle tier.
3. "With clearings" - up to 7 points of total cloudiness of the lower and middle tiers.
4. "Overcast, cloudy" - 8-10 points in the lower tier or not translucent clouds on average, as well as with precipitation in the form of rain or snow.

Types of clouds

The world classification of clouds distinguishes many types, each of which has its own Latin name. It takes into account the shape, origin, height of education and a number of other factors. The classification is based on several types of clouds:

• Cirrus clouds are thin filaments of white. They are located at an altitude of 3 to 18 km, depending on the latitude. Consist of falling ice crystals, to which they owe their appearance. Among the cirrus at a height of over 7 km, clouds are divided into cirrocumulus, altostratus, which have a low density. Below, at an altitude of about 5 km, there are altocumulus clouds.
• Cumulus clouds are dense formations of white color and a considerable height (sometimes more than 5 km). They are located most often in the lower tier with vertical development in the middle. Cumulus clouds at the upper boundary of the middle tier are called altocumulus.
• Cumulonimbus, shower and thunderclouds, as a rule, are located low above the Earth's surface 500-2000 meters, are characterized by precipitation precipitation in the form of rain, snow.
• Stratus clouds are a layer of low-density suspended matter. They let in the light of the sun and moon and are at an altitude of between 30 and 400 meters.

Cirrus, cumulus and stratus types, mixing, form other types: cirrocumulus, stratocumulus, cirrostratus. In addition to the main types of clouds, there are other, less common ones: silvery and mother-of-pearl, lenticular and vymeform. And clouds formed by fires or volcanoes are called pyrocumulative.

By international classification distinguish 10 main types of clouds of different tiers.

> UPPER CLOUDS(h>6km)
Spindrift clouds(Cirrus, Ci) - these are separate clouds of a fibrous structure and a whitish hue. Sometimes they have a very regular structure in the form of parallel filaments or stripes, sometimes, on the contrary, their fibers are tangled and scattered across the sky in separate spots. Cirrus clouds are transparent because they are made up of tiny ice crystals. Often the appearance of such clouds portends a change in the weather. From satellites, cirrus clouds are sometimes difficult to distinguish.

cirrocumulus clouds(Cirrocumulus, Cc) - a layer of clouds, thin and translucent, like cirrus, but consisting of individual flakes or small balls, and sometimes, as it were, of parallel waves. These clouds usually form, figuratively speaking, a "cumulus" sky. Often they appear together with cirrus clouds. They are visible before storms.

Cirrostratus clouds(Cirrostratus, Cs) - a thin, translucent whitish or milky cover, through which the disk of the Sun or Moon is clearly visible. This cover can be homogeneous, like a layer of fog, or fibrous. On cirrostratus clouds, a characteristic optical phenomenon is observed - a halo (bright circles around the Moon or the Sun, a false Sun, etc.). Like cirrus, cirrostratus clouds often indicate the approach of inclement weather.

> MIDDLE CLOUDS(h=2-6 km)
They differ from similar cloud forms of the lower tier great height, lower density and higher probability of the presence of an ice phase.
Altocumulus clouds(Altocumulus, Ac) - a layer of white or gray clouds, consisting of ridges or separate "blocks", between which the sky is usually translucent. The ridges and "clumps" that form the "feathery" sky are relatively thin and arranged in regular rows or in a checkerboard pattern, less often in disorder. A "feathery" sky is usually a sign of a pretty bad weather.

Altostratus clouds(Altostratus, As) - a thin, less often dense veil of a grayish or bluish hue, in some places heterogeneous or even fibrous in the form of white or gray patches all over the sky. The sun or the moon shines through it in the form of bright spots, sometimes quite weak. These clouds are a sure sign of light rain.

> LOWER CLOUDS(h According to many scientists, nimbostratus clouds are assigned to the lower tier illogically, since only their bases are in this tier, and the tops reach a height of several kilometers (middle tier cloud levels). These heights are more characteristic of clouds of vertical development, and therefore, some scientists refer them to clouds of the middle tier.

Stratocumulus clouds(Stratocumulus, Sc) - a cloud layer consisting of ridges, shafts or their individual elements, large and dense, gray in color. There are almost always darker areas.
The word "cumulus" (from the Latin "heap", "heap") denotes a stinginess, a heap of clouds. These clouds rarely bring rain, only sometimes they turn into nimbostratus, from which rain or snow falls.

stratus clouds(Stratus, St) - a rather homogeneous layer of low gray clouds devoid of the correct structure, very similar to fog that has risen to the ground for a hundred meters. Layered clouds cover large spaces, look like torn patches. In winter, these clouds are often held all day, precipitation on the ground usually does not fall from them, sometimes there is a drizzle. In summer, they quickly dissipate, after which fine weather sets in.

Nimbostratus clouds(Nimbostratus, Ns, Frnb) are dark gray clouds, sometimes threatening. Often low dark fragments of broken rain clouds appear below their layer - typical harbingers of rain or snowfall.

> VERTICAL EVOLUTION CLOUD

Cumulus clouds (Cumulus, Cu)- dense, sharply defined, with a flat, relatively dark base and a domed white, as if swirling, top, reminiscent of cauliflower. They begin as small white shards, but soon a horizontal base forms and the cloud begins to rise imperceptibly. With low humidity and a weak vertical ascent of air masses, cumulus clouds portend clear weather. Otherwise, they accumulate during the day and can cause a thunderstorm.

Cumulonimbus (Cumulonimbus, Cb)- powerful cloud masses with strong vertical development (up to a height of 14 kilometers), giving heavy showers with thunderstorms. They develop from cumulus clouds, differing from them in the upper part, consisting of ice crystals. These clouds are associated with squally winds, heavy precipitation, thunderstorms, and hail. The lifetime of these clouds is short - up to four hours. The base of the clouds has dark color, and the white peak goes far up. In the warm season, the peak can reach the tropopause, and in the cold season, when convection is suppressed, the clouds are flatter. Usually clouds do not form a continuous cover. As a cold front passes, cumulonimbus clouds can form a swell. The sun does not shine through cumulonimbus clouds. Cumulonimbus clouds form when the air mass is unstable, when there is an active upward movement of air. These clouds also often form on a cold front when cold air hits a warm surface.

Each genus of clouds, in turn, is divided into types according to the features of the shape and internal structure, for example, fibratus (fibrous), uncinus (claw-shaped), spissatus (dense), castellanus (tower-shaped), floccus (flake-like), stratiformis (layered-different ), nebulosus (foggy), lenticularis (lenticular), fractus (torn), humulus (flat), mediocris (medium), congestus (powerful), calvus (bald), capillatus (hairy). Types of clouds, further, have varieties, for example, vertebratus (ridge-shaped), undulatus (wavy), translucidus (translucent), opacus (non-translucent), etc. Further, additional features of clouds are distinguished, such as incus (anvil), mamma (mammoth) , vigra (falling stripes), tuba (trunk), etc. And, finally, evolutionary features are noted that indicate the origin of clouds, for example, Cirrocumulogenitus, Altostratogenitus, etc.

When observing clouds, it is important to determine by eye the degree of sky coverage on a scale of ten. Clear sky - 0 points. Clearly, there are no clouds in the sky. If it is covered with clouds no more than 3 points warm the firmament, it is slightly cloudy. Cloudy with a clearing of 4 points. This means that clouds cover half of the firmament, but at times their number decreases to "clear". When the sky is half closed, cloudiness is 5 points. If they say "sky with gaps", they mean that the cloudiness is not less than 5, but not more than 9 points. Overcast - the sky is completely covered with clouds of a single blue gap. Cloudiness 10 points.

Deformed cirrocumulus clouds.

Sometimes rounded breaks can be observed in cirrocumulus clouds. Such a gap is formed when the temperature in the cloud is below zero, but the water has not yet had time to freeze. When water begins to freeze in one place, the nearby water vapor quickly evaporates and condenses on ice crystals. Ice crystals become heavy and under their own weight can settle to the ground. Thus, deformed cirrocumulus clouds are obtained.

Cirrostratus clouds (Cirrostratus, Cs) - a type of clouds of the upper tier.
Colour: whitish, translucent.
Description and shape of the cloud . Cirrostratus clouds are in the form of a continuous veil high in the sky. In the presence of these clouds, the sun and moon float as if in a haze. The transparency of clouds can vary depending on the density of the cloud. At low density, the halo effect is also observed. The thickness of cirrostratus clouds can reach 2-6 kilometers.
Visibility inside the cloud : 50-200 meters.
Composition and education. The source of material for the formation of cirrostratus clouds is entire layers of air rising upward as a result of multilevel convergence. The cloud element is ice crystals.
Precipitation does not fall out of them, but thickening of cirrostratus clouds can serve as a harbinger of bad weather.

What are the middle tier clouds in shape:

• altocumulus clouds,

• altostratus clouds,

• Altostratus translucent clouds.

Altocumulus (Altocumulus, Ac
Colour : white, gray or bluish white.
Description and shape of the cloud . Altocumulus clouds are usually found in the summer. They are arranged in waves or in ridges in the form of flakes or plates. There are gaps between individual elements. Sometimes around these clouds there is a beautiful phenomenon called "iridization" . This is the iridescent coloration of the edge of the cloud.
Visibility inside the cloud : 50-80 meters.
Composition and education. Formed when warm air rises. The rise can be provoked by the onset of a cold front, which displaces air heated near the surface of the earth upward.
Cloud weather prediction. Appear after a thunderstorm or storm. They predict clear weather.

Altostratus clouds (Altostratus, As) - a type of middle tier clouds.
Colour : gray or bluish.
Description and shape of the cloud . Altostratus clouds are in the form of a uniform or slightly wavy veil through which the sun and moon faintly shine through. Cloud height varies from one to four kilometers.
Visibility inside the cloud : 25-40 meters.
Composition and education. The main cloud elements are ice crystals, snowflakes, supercooled water.
Cloud weather prediction. Precipitation falls from altostratus clouds. This is heavy rain or snow.

Altostratus translucent clouds (Altostratus translucidus, As trans) - a type of middle tier clouds .
Colour : white-bluish.
Description and shape of the cloud . Clearly visible translucent wavy stripes. The solar and lunar disks are quite distinct. Despite this, they cast a faint shadow on the ground. The lower boundary of these clouds is at an altitude of 3-5 km. The height of the cloud array is 1-2 km. Gradually cover the entire sky with a continuous veil.
Cloud weather prediction. Precipitation also falls from altostratus translucent clouds, but in summer period rarely reach the earth's surface.

What are the clouds of the lower tier in shape:

• layered clouds,

• stratocumulus clouds,

• Cumulus clouds.

Stratus clouds (Stratus, St) - a type of clouds of the lower tier.
Colour : dark gray or light gray.
Description and shape of the cloud . Layered clouds are in the form of a homogeneous whitish veil that covers the entire sky and looks like fog. The height of the cloud is small - from several tens to hundreds of meters. The lower part can drop very low, and then the cloud merges with the fog. Formed in the lower troposphere.
: 100-400 meters, sometimes drops to 30-90.
Cloud weather prediction. Stratus clouds occasionally produce precipitation. It's drizzle or snow grains, depending on the season.

Stratocumulus clouds (Stratocumulus, Sc) - a type of clouds of the lower tier.
Colour : grey.
Description and shape of the cloud . Stratocumulus clouds are in the form of massive ridges, waves, plates. They can be both with gaps, and tighten the sky with a continuous wavy veil. The height of the cloud layer is from 200 to 800 meters. Quite dense, the sun shines through only at the edges of the clouds.
Height above ground : 500 to 1800 meters.
Composition . The main cloud element is water drops.
Cloud weather prediction. Precipitation is possible only occasionally, and even then short.

Striped stratocumulus clouds.
Colour : grey.
Description and shape of the cloud . A variety of stratocumulus clouds. They are notable for the fact that they are located in the sky in the form of regular rows or waves separated by gaps.
Height above ground : 500 to 1800 meters.
Composition . The cloud element is water drops.
Cloud weather prediction. Most often they portend good weather.

Cumulus clouds (Cumulus, Cu) - a type of clouds of the lower tier.
Colour : bright white.
Description and shape of the cloud . Dense, elongated clouds. The upper part of cumulus clouds is rounded or in the form of round turrets.
Height above ground : from 800 to 1500 meters, occasionally more than two kilometers.
Cloud weather prediction. If they are located separately, far from each other, then to good weather. But if the cumulus clouds are large and multi-storey, then maybe heavy rain.

What are the clouds of vertical development in shape:

• nimbostratus clouds,

• Cumulonimbus clouds.

Nimbostratus clouds (Nimbostratus, Ns) - a type of clouds of vertical development.
Colour : dark gray, with a bluish tint.
Description and shape of the cloud . Clouds cover the earth in a continuous veil. Nimbostratus clouds are heterogeneous structure, sometimes wavy. The thickness of the layer is up to several kilometers. They differ from stratus clouds in their heterogeneous structure, which becomes blurred during rain or snow. But in the intervals between precipitation, the heterogeneity again becomes discernible.
Height above ground : 100 to 1900 meters.
Cloud weather prediction. They produce heavy rainfall.

Cumulonimbus (Cumulonimbus, Cb) - type of clouds of vertical development .
Colour : thick dark grey.
Description and shape of the cloud . Powerful dense clouds reaching a height of more than 10 km. Clouds are preceded by a squally wind, a hurricane. They are distinguished by a flat top - an "anvil", consisting of ice crystals.
Height above ground : up to 2000 meters.
Composition . At the base - water drops, and at the top, where the temperature is much lower - ice crystals.
Cloud weather prediction. Cumulonimbus clouds are the harbinger of bad weather. They bring heavy rain, thunderstorms, hail is possible.

This completes the enumeration of the main types and the shape of the clouds, but there are other, rarer types. They cannot be assigned to any of the above categories, therefore they are considered separately. In the next article, we will answer the question: What other clouds are there?

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