© Frank Le Blancq
Playa Blanca, Lanzarote, Canary Islands, Spain
Latitude: 28° 51' 37'' N
Longitude: 13° 50' 45'' W
09 November 2008 1217 (Local Time)
Camera direction: towards W
Image P/S code: P.1.10
Image I.D.: 4716
CL = 0, CM = 0, CH = 1
A fine example of Cirrus fibratus, variety vertebratus with the elements resembling the skeleton of a fish. No contrails were visible. Surface winds were easterly at about 5 kt. At Cirrus level, the wind was about 320° at 25 kt as estimated from the nearest upper air station on Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain. An anticyclone of 1 030 hPa was centred near Madrid.
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A weak surface east to north-easterly airflow covered the Canary Islands, Spain, with an anticyclone of 1 030 hPa centred near Madrid.
The nearest ascent from Guimar, Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain (WMO 60018) at 1200 UTC, the time of the photograph, shows very dry air below about 620 hPa. Shallow moist layers can be seen at 440 hPa (6 800 m) and 380 hPa (7 800 m). The latter is the most likely height of the Cirrus cloud.
A strong display of upper-level cloud (mainly Cirrus) over south-east France on the south-eastern side of a strong ridge over northern France. Among other Cirrus forms (uncinus, floccus, fibratus, radiatus) was this example of Cirrus vertebratus.
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The principal cloud 1 suggests the form of a fish skeleton of which the flocculent masses (2, 3) form the spinal column and the filaments (4, 5), arranged on either side, constitute the ribs. There is an isolated patch of Cirrus fibratus at 6. The place of observation was in tropical air, south of a precipitating warm front on the western edge of a mass of polar air.
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