Weird cloud activity

[sjw2511]

Can anyone identify whats going on here, almost looks tornadic lol

[fujita5]

When/where was this taken? Very dramatic!

[sjw2511]

6 hours ago, fujita5 said:

When/where was this taken? Very dramatic!

Worcester uk, yesterday evening around 9pm

[Despicable Weather]

Wonderful & interesting photos, never seen anything like it in my mere 50years on planet here in the UK.

Hopefully @knocker and/or @johnholmes is able to identify?

Truly great pics and look forward to some kind of answer as to what is going on there.

[knocker]

5 minutes ago, Despicable Weather said:

Wonderful & interesting photos, never seen anything like it in my mere 50years on planet here in the UK.

Hopefully @knocker and/or @johnholmes is able to identify?

Truly great pics and look forward to some kind of answer as to what is going on there.

Funnel clouds were reported over quite a large area in the south west yesterday and this looks very much more of the same from the base of a Cb.

[sjw2511]

Whats that in laymens terms lol. A funnel cloud is not tornado related no?

[johnholmes]

10 hours ago, sjw2511 said:

Can anyone identify whats going on here, almost looks tornadic lol

I'' try!

I 'think' they are ppn from very active CB cloud reaching the ground. I don't think they are what some may believe them to be that is tornadoes, but I stand to be corrected. To me there does not appear to be any rotation? Some outflow on one of them but not sure if that is just some photographic effect, and it was 9 pm so with very thick cloud above then rather unusual looking cloud effects can occur.

Sorry can't be more helpful.

[sjw2511]

2 minutes ago, johnholmes said:

I'' try!

I 'think' they are ppn from very active CB cloud reaching the ground. I don't think they are what some may believe them to be that is tornadoes, but I stand to be corrected. To me there does not appear to be any rotation? Some outflow on one of them but not sure if that is just some photographic effect, and it was 9 pm so with very thick cloud above then rather unusual looking cloud effects can occur.

Sorry can't be more helpful.

Thanks, i could see areas moving together and around each other in the main bit, but not particularly fast, could have been the distance though. I tried to drive to find it but gave up

[Despicable Weather]

A funnel cloud can only be named as a tornado when it impacts/comes in to contact with the ground?

Maybe @PaulSherman is the man to ask?

Many thanks to @knocker and @johnholmes for their knowledge and clarification.

Edited June 8, 2019 by Despicable Weather

[matty40s]

If it's any help, this lot last night did have rotation, near Daventry, Northants

 

[Snowyowl9]

Looks like quite a large valley below them how high is the hill.

[Mapantz]

Low cloud bases with virga would be my bet.

[4wd]

A decent funnel cloud develops into a well defined rope-like form quite often, There will be a distinct boundary around it. you can get a more flabby rotation which is potentially a proper funnel.
When rotating clouds become  funnel is hard to say.
Think of what we've all seen in a sink - the water often rotates slowly but doesn't always create that open funnel - but it can come and go almost at random.
Exactly the same processes are involved

[chrisbell-nottheweatherman]

 

8 hours ago, johnholmes said:

I'' try!

I 'think' they are ppn from very active CB cloud reaching the ground. I don't think they are what some may believe them to be that is tornadoes, but I stand to be corrected. To me there does not appear to be any rotation? Some outflow on one of them but not sure if that is just some photographic effect, and it was 9 pm so with very thick cloud above then rather unusual looking cloud effects can occur.

Sorry can't be more helpful.

Could the final one show a wall cloud, John?  I agree that the others appear to be intense virga/rain shafts, though obviously you've forgotten more about meteorology than I'll ever learn on the subject, so agreeing with you is no sign of arrogance on my part!

[chrisbell-nottheweatherman]

Might be as well to submit these shots to TORRO (http://www.torro.org.uk/) as this is their area of expertise.

[sjw2511]

10 minutes ago, chrisbell-nottheweatherman said:

Might be as well to submit these shots to TORRO (http://www.torro.org.uk/) as this is their area of expertise.

Thanks ive sent them the pics

[The PIT]

If the area is wooded it could be low level cloud being lifted by the an up draft.  The first and 2nd pictures seem to show than more than any funnel clouds. See similar at Ladybower dam from the forests there.

[sjw2511]

3 minutes ago, The PIT said:

If the area is wooded it could be low level cloud being lifted by the an up draft.  The first and 2nd pictures seem to show than more than any funnel clouds. See similar at Ladybower dam from the forests there.

Not particularly wooded there mainly fields. 

[Met.]

This is called "scud" cloud. Sometimes it can be low enough to scrape the ground almost, just ahead of a gust front. it forms under a strong updraft area most commonly, due to locally low pressure under the up-draft causing humid air to condense below the usual level, and due to the nearby cold air of the gust front colliding with the warm updraft air, causing condensation.

Tons of excellent examples on Google Images showing exactly the same thing. It can sometimes be confused for funnel clouds or precipitation but is neither. 

https://tinyurl.com/y3k7seyw

Edited June 8, 2019 by Thundershine

[sjw2511]

26 minutes ago, Thundershine said:

This is called "scud" cloud. Sometimes it can be low enough to scrape the ground almost, just ahead of a gust front. it forms under a strong updraft area most commonly, due to locally low pressure under the up-draft causing humid air to condense below the usual level, and due to the nearby cold air of the gust front colliding with the warm updraft air, causing condensation.

Tons of excellent examples on Google Images showing exactly the same thing. It can sometimes be confused for funnel clouds or precipitation but is neither. 

https://tinyurl.com/y3k7seyw

What would it feel like to be stood in it if its touch ground as in this case? Any increase in wind? Precipitation?

[johnholmes]

6 hours ago, chrisbell-nottheweatherman said:

 

Could the final one show a wall cloud, John?  I agree that the others appear to be intense virga/rain shafts, though obviously you've forgotten more about meteorology than I'll ever learn on the subject, so agreeing with you is no sign of arrogance on my part!

I honestly don't know chris. It would need a more detailed explanation of what subsequently occurred and perhaps an idea of what the relevant t-phi/skew-t showed to make any real judgement.

Yes my meteorological knowledge is declining at about the same rate as my brain cells-worrying!

 

[Met.]

8 minutes ago, sjw2511 said:

What would it feel like to be stood in it if its touch ground as in this case? Any increase in wind? Precipitation?

I've actually been inside a scud cloud believe it or not! I was on a sky scraper in Dubai during a thunderstorm and a gust front passage passed over, looking similar to your picture. From higher up, the cloud looked incredible, it was like steam rising out of a pan quite fast, and the cloud was forming very fast. It didn't really feel like much, quite windy, but not heavy rain as that would be further behind the gust front.

On the ground would be much the same, you wouldn't feel the cloud as such, but the scud is in the warmer rising air just ahead of the cooler sinking air typically so you'd notice a change in temperature and wind increase after possibly but every situation is slightly different.

Edited June 8, 2019 by Thundershine

[The PIT]

This page shows scud clouds very well http://strangesounds.org/2016/07/creepy-scud-cloud-forms-in-the-sky-over-kiev-ukraine-video-pictures.html

[chrisbell-nottheweatherman]

12 hours ago, johnholmes said:

I honestly don't know chris. It would need a more detailed explanation of what subsequently occurred and perhaps an idea of what the relevant t-phi/skew-t showed to make any real judgement.

Yes my meteorological knowledge is declining at about the same rate as my brain cells-worrying!

 

I was suggesting that you've not forgotten much, John!  Interesting point regarding the sounding.

[Kirkcaldy Weather]

On 07/06/2019 at 22:19, sjw2511 said:

Can anyone identify whats going on here, almost looks tornadic lol

Downburst / Microburst maybe? 

  https://higginsstormchasing.com/what-are-microbursts/   

also links to virga as mentioned by others " However, on some occasions, virga can lead to the development of microbursts, which pose a dangerous threat to planes and aircraft. These microbursts come about as rainfall transitions back into water vapour, removing heat from the air and causing an accelerating sink of colder air, which can cause severe turbulence."  https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/weather/learn-about/weather/types-of-weather/clouds/other-clouds/virga

Great photos