Cloud Types Collection

Suns rays breaking through clouds
Rays of the Sun breaking through clouds. The rays become visible when they emerge through gaps in cloud cover and scatter from dust particles or fine rain drops

Heart shape in clouds, conceptual image

Noctilucent cloud over trees. This type of cloud, also known as polar mesospheric, is visible only in deep twilight and is seen mostly during the summer

Long streaks of stratocumulus cloud at sunset
Stratocumulus clouds. Long streaks of strato- cumulus at sunset. This low altitude (500-2, 400 metre height) cloud is made up of water and ice particles

Cumulonimbus cloud. Cumulonimbus cloud over the sea at sunset. The largest clouds formed in the Earths atmosphere, they cause thunderstorms and can be taller than Mount Everest

Altostratus clouds. These featureless clouds can range from thin lines (as here) to a dense grey mantle. They usually form between 2000 and 5000 metres above the ground

High-altitude clouds, satellite image. These swirling clouds are being shaped by high-altitude winds. They are over the Mediterranean Sea, just north of the coast of Morocco

Plumes of cirrus cloud in the sky above trees
Cirrus cloud. Plumes of cirrus cloud in the sky above trees. Depending on their shape, these clouds are also known as " Mares Tails" or " Stringers"

Sunlit clouds. Aerial photograph of sunlight reflecting off cirrus clouds at sunset. Cirrus clouds are elongated tufted clouds, also known as mares tails

Heart-shaped cloud formation. Conceptual image showing a gap in cumulus cloud in the shape of a heart

Cumulonimbus storm clouds. Cumulonimbus are large, turbulent clouds which carry rain or hail. Cumulonimbus clouds usually form from puffy cumulus clouds at a much lower height which grow vertically

Stratocumulus cloud line over E. Pacific
Frontal stratocumulus clouds over the Pacific Ocean. The clouds delineate the boundary of a mass of warm air (top left) that has come from the Californian coast some 580km away

Aerial view of a cumulonimbus storm cloud
Cumulonimbus cloud. Aerial view of the anvil- shaped top, or thunderhead, of a cumulonimbus storm cloud. The thunderhead forms at the temperature inversion layer in the atmosphere

Stack of lenticular clouds over Mauna Kea, Hawaii
Lenticular clouds. Stack of lenticular clouds, named for their smooth lens-like shapes, seen over a mountain. Lenticular clouds often occur in vertical piles or stacks as here

Cirrus Mares tails clouds
Mares tail cirrus cloud. Cirrus is a high- altitude cloud, formed of ice crystals. It appears as white delicate filaments, patches or streaks

Cirrus clouds

Jetstream clouds seen over north-western Libya. The jetstreams are high-altitude, fast-moving air currents that are a few thousand kilometres long

Cumulus cloud tops from Haleakala volcano
Cumulus clouds. Tops of cumulus clouds seen from the Haleakala volcano on Maui, Hawaii, USA

Clouds from underwater
Clouds. Clouds in a blue sky seen from underwater

Jet stream clouds over eastern Canada, seen from orbit. North is towards bottom. This band of high- altitude clouds runs from bottom right to centre

View of a nacreous cloud at sunset
Nacreous cloud. View of a nacreous cloud illuminated by the sun after it has moved below the horizon. Nacreous clouds are a rare cloud form characterised by an iridescent appearance

Storm clouds in North Atlantic, from space, 61-A
Storm clouds seen from space. This photograph shows the clouds associated with a cyclonic disturbance. This is found near a low pressure region, and used to be called a mid-lattitude cyclone

Towering cumulus clouds
Cumulus clouds. Cumulus clouds with a growing cumulus tower against a blue sky. Cumulus clouds form at low altitudes (under 2000 metres)

Wisps of cirrus cloud in the sky

Cirrocumulus clouds forming a Mackerel Sky
Cirrocumulus clouds. Sky filled with lines of small, cirrocumulus cloudlets, to form a " Mackerel Sky". Cirrocumulus clouds form at an altitude of 5000-6000 metres and above

Thunderstorm cloud seen from space
Thunderstorm seen from space. View of a large cumulonimbus cloud cell seen from an orbiting Space Shuttle. The cell has two major updrafts

Noctilucent clouds with Moon
Noctilucent cloud with the Moon. These bright displays are seen in the middle of the night in summer at high latitudes. Their composition is unknown

Gemini 12 image of the jetstream over the
Jetstream. Gemini 12 photograph of the jetstream high over the Sahara Desert in Egypt. The desert is in the foreground, and is cut across by the River Nile

Rain veil from stratocumulus cloud
Rain veil. A veil of rain seen under a large stratocumulus cloud. This sort of veil appears in clouds where there is little convection from below

Sun rays shining from behind a cloud
Sun rays. View of a large cumuliform cloud showing rays of sunlight. The light casts a shadow on a lower, thin cloud layer. The rays are sometimes, but incorrectly, called crepuscular rays

Lenticular cloud, Joshua Tree NM, sunset
Lenticular cloud at sunset. A lenticular cloud gets its name from its lens-like shape. It is usually produced by an eddying wind near mountains

Cirrus cloud. Spiralling cirrus Kelvin-Helmholtz cloud. Its distinct corkscrew pattern is formed by layers of air moving across each other in opposite directions

Noctilucent clouds, seen from the International Space Station (ISS). These clouds (white streaks across centre) are very thin and form high above the Earth at heights of 75-90 kilometres

Altocumulus clouds lit up by the setting sun, Gloucester, England

Lenticular cloud near Mauna Kea, Hawaii, USA
Lenticular cloud. View of a single lenticular cloud, named for its smooth lens-like shape. These clouds are produced when moist air ascends over a mountain

Fisheye lens view of cloud cover
Cloud cover assessment. Fisheye lens view of the whole sky, showing the amount of cloud cover made up by cumulus clouds. Use of a lens with orthographic projection (OP)

Sunset clouds
Clouds at sunset

Noctilucent clouds, herring structure
Noctilucent cloud. These bright displays are seen in the middle of the night in summer at high latitudes. Seen here is an unusual crossed pattern, known as the " herring" structure

Billowing bank of cumulus clouds

Cloud tops seen from Mauna Kea, Hawaii
Cloud tops over Hawaii. View over the tops of cloud banks, photographed from the peak of Mauna Kea, Hawaii, near sunset. Two large banks of nimbostratus clouds are seen - one in the foreground

Cloud cover seen from above. Photographed from an altitude of 10, 000 metres

Clouds disrupted by islands, true-colour satellite image. North is at top. The islands (brown) of the Canary Islands (lower right) and Madeira (upper centre) are disrupting clouds (white)

View of long cirrus clouds over Atlantic
View of long cirrus clouds & transverse bands over the Atlantic, 160 km northwest of Dakar on the westernmost tip of Africa

Cumulonimbus anvil cloud seen approaching town
Cumulonimbus with anvil. Heavy, rain-filled cloud of cumulonimbus seen approaching a town. The towering head or " anvil" of the cloud is seen, with an elongated and flattened top

Cumulus clouds. Photographed in a park in Berkshire, England, in August

Altocumulus cloud cover over Mt Erebus volcano on Ross Island, Antarctica

Noctilucent cloud over a city by a river. This type of cloud, also known as polar mesospheric, is visible only in deep twilight and is seen mostly during the summer

Noctilucent cloud over a lake. This type of cloud, also known as polar mesospheric, is visible only in deep twilight and is seen mostly during the summer

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Clouds are nature's artistry in the sky, painting a breathtaking canvas for all to admire. As the sun's rays break through the clouds, they create a mesmerizing display of light and shadow. It's as if Mother Nature herself is sending us a message of hope and warmth. In one instance, we witness an ethereal heart shape formed by fluffy white clouds. This conceptual image reminds us of love and unity, reminding us that even in vast skies above, our hearts can find solace and connection. Noctilucent clouds take center stage with their otherworldly glow against the dark night sky. These high-altitude wonders leave us awestruck, as if we're witnessing magic unfold before our very eyes. At sunset, long streaks of stratocumulus clouds decorate the horizon like brushstrokes on a masterpiece. The warm hues blend seamlessly with these low-lying formations, creating a serene atmosphere that captivates all who gaze upon it. From satellite images high above Earth's surface come glimpses of high-altitude clouds dancing across vast expanses. Their delicate presence reminds us how small we truly are in this grand universe yet connected to its beauty from afar. Plumes of cirrus cloud soar gracefully above towering trees below—a harmonious dance between earth and sky. These wispy formations add elegance to any landscape they grace while inviting our imagination to wander freely among them. Cirrus clouds make another appearance—feathery strokes across azure skies that resemble brushstrokes on an artist's canvas. They bring an airiness to the heavens above—a reminder that dreams can be found even amidst life's uncertainties. Sunlit clouds bask in golden radiance as sunlight bathes them from above—an enchanting sight that fills our hearts with joy and wonderment. In these moments, it feels as though heaven itself has descended upon Earth for everyone to relish in its glory.