Storm Clouds Descend Upon Thessaloniki, Greece

August 19, 2014

Self_cloud (1)

Photographer: Thalia Traianou; Thalia's Web site
Summary Author: Thalia Traianou; Jim Foster

The photo above showing eerie storm clouds descending upon Thessaloniki, Greece was captured late in the day on June 8, 2014. The lowest cloud layer is a shelf cloud (arcus clouds). These threatening clouds are generated by downdrafts within mature cumulonimbus cells that push into the warmer, moister air that's feeding the storm system. The parent thunderstorm is obscured here by the shelf clouds. In this case, though, strong winds and heavy rain struck soon after the picture was snapped, storm damages were minor.

Photo details: Camera Model: Canon EOS 500D; Lens: EF-S18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS; Focal Length: 18mm; Aperture: f/8.0; Exposure Time: 0.0063 s (1/160); ISO equiv: 100; Software: Adobe Photoshop CS6 (Windows).