Lenticular Clouds and Atmospheric Haze over the Canary Islands

Photographer: Jose Fernández Arozena  Summary Author: Jose Fernández Arozena

Shown above is an enormous, golden lenticular cloud that was anchored practically all day over the bay of Santa Cruz de La Palma (La Palma island, Canary Islands, Spain). The camera is looking toward the southwest, and as it's near sunset, the Sun is already behind the high mountains west of the bay.

Note the hazy sky conditions. Calima is a meteorological phenomenon that consists of the suspension of very small solid particles in the atmosphere, giving the air an opaque and cloudy appearance. These particles are dust and sand from the Sahara Desert, some 300 miles (480 km) to the east. Whenever there's a deep storm to the west of the Canary Islands archipelago and an anticyclone over Africa (the African ridge), transport of dust by mid and upper-level winds sometimes occurs over La Palma Island. The winds ushering in the dust also was responsible for forming orographic clouds downwind of the mountains. Photo taken on February 8, 2024.

Photo Details: Sony Alpha 6000 camera; Sigma 18-50 lens; 18mm; f/8.

Santa Cruz de La Palma, Canary Islands, Spain Coordinates: 28.6917, -17.7433Related Links:Lenticular Clouds over Tenerife, Canary IslandsDust Storm over PortugalJose's Website