What cloud is that you ask?

Clouds appear in many shapes and sizes depending where they were formed. They are either be made of ice or water droplets depending on their altitude.

NAME: ALTOSTRATUS CLOUD LAYER: MIDDLE ALTITUDE: 2000 – 5500M

A large, thin sheet of cloud that lives higher up in the atmosphere. The sun can be seen weakly though them and it can form optical effects such as coronas, which are caused by the diffraction of light by ice crystals.

NAME: NIMBOSTRATUS CLOUD LAYER: LOW & MIDDLE ALTITUDE: 600 – 3000M

Nimbostratus formations often appear dark grey and have no apparent features. They are generally thick enough to block out the sun.

NAME: CIRRUS CLOUD LAYER: HIGH ALTITUDE: 5500 – 12,000M

Appear as short, detached, almost hair-like structures that live at very high altitudes. Cirrus clouds have a silky sheen and during the day they are the whitest cloud in the sky. But when the sun is setting they may change colour to that of the sunset itself resulting in vibrant red/orange skies.

NAME: STRATUS CLOUD LAYER: LOW ALTITUDE: 0 – 2000M

These clouds appear as a greyish layer resembling fog or mist that sits close to the ground, they are often associated with foggy or misty conditions. Stratus clouds sometimes allow sunlight to penetrate through but if thick enough can block it out entirely. Blue skies usually sit beyond these low flying formations.

NAME: CUMULUS CLOUD LAYER: LOW ALTITUDE: 350 – 2000M

Typically having a fluffy appearance, these clouds live closer to the ground than their altocumulus cousins and may have a dark base and vibrant white top. If temperature, wind and moisture conditions are just right they can grow into mighty cumulonimbus clouds.

NAME: ASPERITUS CLOUD LAYER: LOW ALTITUDE: 1200 – 3000M

These unusual formations resemble a roughened or agitated sea in motion. The stunning visual effect is produced by variations in the changing levels of light and thickness as the cloud moves across the sky.

NAME: STRATOCUMULUS CLOUD LAYER: LOW ALTITUDE: 360 – 2000M

Stratocumulus clouds can appear as greyish or white and come in several forms. Patches, sheets or layers, joined or with gaps between them the stratocumulus is a cloud of many faces.

NAME: CIRROCUMULUS CLOUD LAYER: HIGH ALTITUDE: 6000 – 12,000M

Sometimes known as ‘mackerel skies’ these clouds have a rippled appearance. The cloud is made up of lots of tiny cloudlets that combine in a regular arrangement creating the distinctive structure.

NAME: ALTOCUMULUS CLOUD LAYER: MIDDLE ALTITUDE: 600 – 5500M

Altocumulus formations consist of small mid-level patches of cloud known as cloudlets. These patches can appear in a range of shapes and have a more delicate appearance due to the presence of ice which brightens their colour.

NAME: CUMULONIMBUS CLOUD LAYER: LOW, MIDDLE & HIGH ALTITUDE: 350 – 2000M

‘ The King of the Clouds’. The cumulonimbus’s appearance is like an anvil, with a towering central plume with a flattened top. The bottom is dark where rain or hail falls.