The weather’s looking fishy
QUESTION What is a ‘mackerel’ sky, and where did the saying come from? A PATCH or layer of cloud consisting of tiny individual cloudlets at high level ( 800020,000ft) is called cirrocumulus. The cloudlets may make a regular rippled pattern, showing blue sky in the gaps. Their appearance is not that common.
The separate elements of the layer show that the air up at cloud level is choppy or unstable. Often, they can appear in small patches and this has no significant meaning to the weather-watcher.
Occasionally, though, the formation appears as ripples over a large area. This is called the cirrocumulus stratiformis undulatus form, where stratiformis means ‘extensive layer’ and undulatus refers to ripples.
This is the so- called mackerel sky, from the fact that its pattern is similar to the markings of a king mackerel. The term was probably coined by mariners for a formation that has long been seen as a warning of approaching storms.
This is particularly the case when it is combined with the hookshaped cirrus uncinus, described as ‘mares’ tails’, hence the saying: ‘Mares’ tails and mackerel scales/ Make tall ships carry low sails.’
It may be a harbinger of bad weather because the large area of high cloud suggests there is a lot of moisture at the top of the troposphere. In temperate regions, this can be an early indicator of an advancing depression, bringing rain. Secondly, the choppy waves indicate strong winds.
Dave Williams, Tenby, Pembrokeshire.
QUESTION Has any child of a world record-breaking athlete or Olympic gold medallist also won these awards? TO THE earlier answer can be added another famous Olympic family, the Azarians.
Albert Azarian, known as the ‘ king of the rings’, was an Armenian gymnast competing for the USSR.
He was the first person to do one of the most famous exercises on the rings, the Olympic or Azarian Cross, in an international competition. He won the individual rings gold and a team gold at the 1956 Melbourne Games, and the rings gold and team silver at the 1960 Games in Rome.
His son Eduard picked up a team gold at the 1980 Moscow Olympics. Eduard emigrated to America in 1992. He now runs the Azarian U. S. Gymnastics Training Centre in Aliso Viejo, just south of Los Angeles.
D. M. Holland, Preston, Lancs.