England’s Fluffy Clouds (a beginner’s guide to appreciation!)
England has unique changeable weather, and therefore some of the best cloud formations in the world. We often have grey and misty skies, and therefore patchy cloud cover, especially on foggy mornings.
Our climate is shaped by the North Atlantic Drift, and frequent low-pressure systems. This brings moist air that meets cooler land, which forms clouds. The main cloud types are:
- Cirrus clouds are wispy clouds you see up high on clear days, which look like ‘brush-strokes’ in the sky, and often hint at good weather (if they thicken, this could signal approaching warm fronts)
- Cumulous clouds are the ‘cotton wool’ clouds that again mean fair weather. If they grow tall and darken at the base, these develop into cumulonimbus clouds (which bring thunderstorms).
- Stratus clouds look like big grey sheets, on dreary overcast days. They form at low altitudes, and often result in drizzle or light snow.
- Nimbus clouds usually occur just before or when it’s raining. Get out your windproof umbrella!
- Fog is simply a cloud that forms at ground level. More common in valleys and near rivers, it forms when damp air cools quickly, or mixes with colder air near the ground.
- Cloud forests are rare in England but common in tropical regions abroad, where moisture from clouds supports dense, mossy woodland (like on Dartmoor). England’s dampest woods in counties like Devon and Cornwall resemble mini cloud forests, often shrouded in mist.
Clouds look white, due to sunlight reflecting off water droplets (a bit like how rainbows work). When they thicken, less light passes through, which is why they look grey. As mountainous areas catch moist air, you’ll find more clouds in north west England, and more ‘blue skies’ in the south and east.
If caught in a thunderstorm, keep a safe distance from trees and metal objects (umbrellas, golf clubs, motorbikes, wheelchairs, tent poles). Stay inside cars (fabric tops could catch fire, if struck).
If exposed, squat close to the ground with hands on knees, and tuck your head between them, touching as little of the ground with your body (don’t lie down). If your hand stands on end, drop to the above position immediately.
An Experiment to Show ‘How Clouds Work’
The Met Office’s website has an experiment you can do to ‘make your own cloud’ in a glass. Place some ice in a metal dish, then pour a little warm water into the bottom of a glass tumbler.
When the dish is very cold, put it on top of the glass. You’ll see a ‘cloud’ form near the top. This is how clouds work (cooling moisture air into tiny water droplets).
Don’t Go Paragliding Near Clouds!
Some clouds can even be dangerous. Cumulous clouds have thermal updrafts, which means paragliders can be ‘sucked into them’.
This happened in a 2007 thunderstorm, when professional paraglider Eva Wiśnierska-Cieślewicz lost consciousness and thankfully came to an hour later, so was able to land. However she was covered in bruises and ice!
Books on Clouds and Cloudy Days
- The Cloud Appreciation Society was founded by Gavin Pretor-Pinney, who switched from studying physics to philosophy. Designed to share a love of the sky, member donations help villages abroad to harvest fresh drinking water from fog, and help stop illegal logging in Amazon forests.
- Gavin’s book Cloudspotting for Beginners is a beautiful introduction to clouds of all shapes and sizes. Learn their fancy Latin names, how clouds react with sunlight, and visit ‘acid clouds’ on other planets.
- The Pocket Cloud Book is written in association with The Met Office, to help you identify clouds above your head. Learn the 12 cloud types recognised by the World Meteorological Organisation and learn how climate change affects clouds.
- The Little Book of Weather is a beautifully illustrated guide by a Met Office researcher. Learn about temperatures, air pressures, wind, clouds, rain, rainbows, hail, snow, thunder, lighting. And what causes extreme weather (tornadoes, hurricanes, typhoons, floods, droughts and landslides).
We pledge to fight ‘blue-sky thinking’ wherever we find it. Life would be dull, if we had to look up at cloudless monotony day after day. Gavin Pretor-Pinney
