Unusual cloud formations over New Zealand

Caleb Harris
Stuff.co.nz
Thu, 19 Sep 2013 20:09 UTC

"Freaky" clouds in Wairarapa yesterday evening were caused by warm air "ski-jumping" off the Tararua Range into a rainy front, according to Metservice.

Wairarapa News journalist Piers Fuller was on the lawn outside his home east of Masterton at about 6pm last night, videoing an impromptu rugby game between his sons Japhy, 6, Enzo, 5 and daughter Juno, 2, when he noticed the sky looked "weird".

"I stopped and said, hey, look at these freaky clouds."

Commenters on the Wairarapa News Facebook page thought the clouds were Mammatus clouds, also known as "mammary clouds".

Metservice meteorologist Daniel Corbett agreed, saying mammatus normally form as a result of sinking air, hence their downward udder-like appearance, and often occur in the base of the anvil of a cumulonimbus, or thunderstorm, cloud.

However in this particular case the explanation was a warm north-west wind lifting up over the Tararua Range then falling into the leading edge of a rainy front creeping over the lower North Island last night, he said.

"When [the north-wester] comes over the Tararuas it's almost like a ski slope, it lifts the clouds then pushes them down... that downward motion can help create that type of formation."

Source: The Dominion Post

Reader Comments

jollycodger · 2013-09-19T23:31:23Z

Seems to me..

there's lots of new cloud formations I've never seen before. Something's different.

jupiterbeings · 2013-09-20T03:33:16Z

Yes Yes Yes! Jollycodger

Spot on...I have been noticing this too. As an avid sky and cloud watcher for the last 5-6 years their sure has been some weird skies over my way in the UK. I've seen these mammatus clouds too and got a few pics but what I have noticed of late is colour in the clouds. I am talking of iridescent clouds. These are usually quite rare to witness and I have seen a 'few' over the years I have been 'looking up' but nothing like in the past few months. Since early/middle of July on the occasions when the weather has been good,ie, The suns out....I have seen them basically every time I'm looking at the cloud formations. I have photographed them also around 7-8 times and can say wholeheartedly that this is not a usual occurrence. I encourage you to take a look the next time the suns out and to look up at the clouds near our star and see if you can see the same things. It is not limited to daytime either. Often over this summer I have witnessed rainbow halo's and iridescent clouds surrounding our moon. These experiences are usually rare but are becoming commonplace....somethings up and something mysterious and special at that.