Asperitas Clouds Observed Above Hong Kong
June 14, 2022
Photographer: Chow Kwok Pun
Summary Authors: Chow Kwok Pun; Jim Foster
The breathtaking photos of the sky shown above were captured during my morning walk in Hong Kong, on March 30, 2022. At the time, I was on a hillside (Ho Man Tin) near the center of the city. These are asperitas clouds, which on occasion can be observed in the hours following the passage of potent storms. They take shape when air cooled by the sublimation of ice crystals protrudes through an existing cloud base. Strong wind shear creates the wavy patterns, referred to as undulatus. How wonderful it was to see such a sky, which to me resembled upside-down waves.