Dramatic mammatus clouds over Lancashire
- Published
Blanket of mammatus clouds over Hambleton, captured by BBC Weather Watcher hueysdad
The arrival of mammatus clouds over west Lancashire on Sunday afternoon gave residents a strange sense of foreboding.
Local resident Stephen Cheatley described the scene over Blackpool as "apocalyptic" on X (formerly Twitter).
Foreboding sky over Bispham, by BBC Weather Watcher Martin
The bizarre cloud formation, whilst looking somewhat scary, is more common than you may think and was linked to the arrival of cumulonimbus clouds on the Fylde coast.
The air turbulence within the cumulonimbus clouds can cause plumes of colder air to emerge from the base of the cloud. This then forms the bulges or pouches that give the cloud their name.
The name "mammatus" is actually derived from the Latin "mamma", which means "udders" or "breasts".
Mammatus clouds along the coast at Fleetwood, as seen by BBC Weather Watcher Dux Girl
Their appearance was still enough to make locals uneasy, with Esther Parkinson on X (formerly Twitter) saying the skies "looked a bit like Armageddon".
Mammatus clouds can often indicate that heavy rain, hail, or thunder and lightning are nearby.
Their appearance is always much more dramatic around sunrise or sunset, as the low angle of the sun captures their unusual shape.
BBC Weather Watcher Jonty captured the drama above the rooftops of Lytham St Annes
Approaching mammatus clouds in Lytham St Annes, as seen by BBC Weather Watcher mm_northern
Another photo from Lytham St Annes, showing the sky full of the dramatic pouches underneath a cumulonimbus cloud. By BBC Weather Watcher Heather
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