Cumulonimbus Clouds and Rain Shaft

Photographer: Greg ParkerSummary Author: Greg Parker

On our daily dog walk, my wife and I noticed these impressive looking cumulonimbus cloud formations. The top photo showing a rain shaft (lower center) was taken about 30-minutes before sunset, the camera was facing west; the bottom photo was taken a few minutes later, looking northeast. Rain shafts develop during the mature stage of a convective storm. The rain is being pushed groundward by a downdraft generated when raindrops grow large enough so they can no longer be supported by the storm cloud. Photos taken from Hampshire, England, on September 11, 2024.

 

Hampshire, England Coordinates: 50.738780, -1.647330

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