What are stratocumulus
clouds?
Stratocumulus clouds are
low-level clumps or patches of cloud varying in colour from bright white to dark grey. They are the most common clouds on earth recognised by their well defined bases with some parts often darker
than others. They usually have gaps between them, but they can also be joined together.
How do stratocumulus
clouds form?
Stratocumulus clouds
usually form from a layer of stratus cloud breaking up. They are indicators of a change in the weather and are usually present near a warm, cold or occluded front.
What weather is
associated with stratocumulus clouds?
Stratocumulus clouds can
be present in all types of weather conditions, from dry settled weather to more rainy conditions, but they themselves are often not the culprit. Stratocumulus are often mistaken for rain clouds, when
in reality it is quite rare to get anything more than the lightest drizzle from them, if anything at all.
How do we categorise
stratocumulus clouds?
Stratocumulus clouds are
grouped into four different 'species':
- Stratocumulus stratiformis - The most common cloud type across the globe, these are essentially
flat based layers of cloud often with a few cracks between.
- Stratocumulus cumulogenitus - These form when rising cumulus clouds encounter a temperature
inversion (a warming of the air above) and spread outwards clumping together.
- Stratocumulus castellanus - These are thicker, more drizzly stratocumulus clouds. Turreted tops
form when convection initiates through the stable layer allowing stratocumulus to grow upwards, potentially leading to the formation of cumulus congestus or even cumulonimbus.
- Stratocumulus lenticularis - The rarest variety of stratocumulus; lenticularis, is often
spotted in hilly locations. Very different in appearance to the more spectacular altocumulus lenticularis, they form when hills produce atmospheric waves, which contribute to their lens-like
shape.