It happened in the skies of Ponte de Sor, but it is an “uncommon” phenomenon in Portugal in winter. According to Meteo Trás os Montes, this type of cloud often precedes more “severe” meteorological situations.
It is an “uncommon” phenomenon in Portugal in winter, but it happened in Ponte de Sor. A ‘cloud shelf’ transformed the sky into an authentic meteorological spectacle.
The images were shared on social media by which explains that the formation of this type of cloud is a “classic visual indicator” of a gust front associated with a “convective system”.
In a ‘simpler’ explanation, this phenomenon happens when a cold, dense air stream descends quickly towards the ground and, upon reaching the surface, it spreads horizontally, “acting as an atmospheric wedge”.
“This wedge of cold air lifts the warm, humid air in front of it. As this air rises and reaches the Condensation Level by Ascension, the horizontal structure we see in the photo is formed”, explains Meteo Trás os Montes.
In this cloud it is also possible to observe a “rolling” movementwhich occurs due to friction between opposing currents.
Meteo Trás os Montes also adds that this type of phenomenon often precedes “severe phenomena”such as, for example, micro-bursts and may even indicate a “storm front with high destructive potential”.
