Garden Notes 3 – Asperitas clouds

Over the years, I, like many others have become a little obsessed with clouds. The huge variation in formations, the speed, density, really is a joy to behold.

I recall a rather miserable previous manager once remarking “you should have put that on your CV” when I pointed out a cloud formation using the Latin name.

Asperitas clouds

Anyhow, during the last week, the sky above the garden has been full of fantastic cloud formations, the most interesting of which is the most recently designated Asperitas. These wave-like clouds are the most recent cloud designation and usually form at between 4,000 and 10,000 feet. They have been classified as quite rare, but I have seen a fair amount of them over the years, across the fans of the Brecon Beacons and also Pembrokeshire and this week, above our garden.

Undulatus Asperitas is certainly up there as my favourite type of cloud formation. The undulation of the cloud edges vary so much, they can be wavy like a flowing river, so sharp like the edge of a piece of paper.

Little is known about the formation of these clouds. In my experience, they have appeared at the end of or beginning of a storm. However, in the most recent case, I have not experienced a storm at either end of the Asperitas. Therefore, my best guess is that these are also related to a particular combination of pressure fronts. There is a good background article produced by the Met Office here.

Later that day, I was unfortunate enough to be heading out for a weekly shop. As the clouds were still about I took my camera. Luckily, I managed to produce a time timelapse of Asperitas over Pen Y Fan in the Brecon Beacons.

Certainly, for me, these Asperitas clouds hold huge appeal and I am delighted to have captured them over my garden and Pen Y Fan.