© Barry Chan
The Peak, Hong Kong, China
Latitude: 22° 16' 33'' N
Longitude: 114° 8' 30'' E
07 June 2014 0825 (Local Time)
Camera direction: towards NNE
Image P/S code: P.7.4
Image I.D.: 5803
CL = 8, CM = /, CH = /
This spectacular image of Hong Kong (China) has captured a sky with three species of Stratocumulus present: lenticularis, castellanus and stratiformis.
The lowest cloud base (600 m) is shared by lenticularis and castellanus as instability is triggering the growth of cumuliform turrets in the lenticularis here and here. The essential features of castellanus – that is, “cumuliform masses arranged in lines, rising from a common horizontal base” – are clearly visible.
A dark grey, thick layer of Stratocumulus stratiformis opacus, comprised of long merged rolls, is at the top of the image (base 1 400 m). This layer was thinning and dissipating on the north-eastern edge, as evidenced by the lighter grey colour and sunlight on the horizon.
Patches of Cumulus fractus and a few Cumulus humilis cells can be seen at the same base as the lower Stratocumulus. The coding is CL = 8 as there is Cumulus and Stratocumulus at different bases and the Stratocumulus has not formed from the spreading of Cumulus.
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A trough of low pressure continued to affect the south China coast on this day.
Several distinct cloud layers are indicated up to 7500 m by the areas of high moisture content in this sounding
This image shows undulations (transverse waves – cloud variety undulatus) in a thin layer of Stratocumulus in the lee of the Galloway Hills, Scotland, UK. The Stratocumulus is of the species lenticularis as the undulations stay in place (stationary waves), yet they are in a state of constant change, forming on the upwind edge and dissolving on the downwind edge.
Anti-crepuscular rays and their attending shadows can be faintly seen toward the horizon.
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