Stratocumulus

This is probably my favourite cloud picture to date but I must confess it has had a little computer enhancement.  Taken on the ever-changing sea front at Weston-Super-Mare you can see there's quite a lot going on in this photograph with the clouds evolving.  Taken in the late afternoon one November, it was blustery as it often is on that stretch of coastline.

Stratocumulus

Steepholm Island in the Bristol Channel photographed from Weston-Super-Mare one August.  The sea is a little choppy with the wind increasing there were some showers around and not far away.

Cirrus

Some high altitude Cirrus clouds above London and without much cloud activity as such.  Unless you count the condensation trails from aircraft having flown over sometime earlier in the afternoon.

The Shard is claimed to be the tallest building in Western Europe at 310 metres; 1016 feet.  Photographed here while still under construction it is clearly a dramatic addition to the London skyline and will provide a mixture of commercial and residential accommodation.  I can only imagine the stunning views from the upper floors, unless they are shrouded in cloud that is!

Cirrus

Some lovely Cirrus clouds photographed one warm, sunny afternoon in the summer while out for a bike ride with my youngest daughter.  She protested when I stopped to photograph this but the situation was fixed when I turned the camera towards her (yes, I should have done that first!).

Not too sure which variety; possibly Cirrus floccus.

Cirrus

I'm sure this is a Cirrus cloud but not too sure which variety.  Cirrus clouds are always lovely to see as a sign of pleasant weather and can be at around 20,000ft.

Lower down there is (what appears to be) a string of Cumulus mediocris; a low hanging cloud which is sometimes grouped together by the wind.  Otherwise earlier in the day they may have been Cumulus congests.

Cumulus humilis

Taken early one evening from Birdlip Hill, Gloucestershire and looking west.  The  photograph above is one of my favourite cloud shots of all time: I like it for the simplicity and the soft colours blending in with each other.  These clouds float around at about 2,000ft give or take a little.

These clouds are still forming as their bases haven't come together completely.  They're common in warm fine weather and sometimes rise further to become Cumulus mediocris or cumulus congestus if there has already been rain.  Happily this didn't happen on this day, they rolled by as we drove home in lovely weather.

The photograph on the left was taken a little sooner or later from the same spot and has the Forest of Dean hills in the bottom left and the Malvern Hills in the bottom right.

Cumulus congestus

 Dramatic Comulus congestus clouds which I always seem to notice most of all in May, here in the UK.  They can be threatening with heavy showers and develop very vigourously.

The overall size of these can sometimes be stunning and you can almost see the internal convections taking place as the fluffy tops continue to bubble away.