Strange clouds over west coast

youi

1200 UTC today, I looked up and viewed a rather rare cloud type.
What was the pressure system over the country at the time would anyone know?

These clouds where very uniform for miles (as far as the eye could see) and they where very high up. Cirrus of some kind mabey?
They where very flat and cotton wool like (kinda). Its very hard to describe them but I would love to know the name of the type of clouds if mabey someone could tell me.

Viewing Location : Inishturk Island of Mayo Coast.

It was a beautiful site.

hotwhiskey

Picture speaks a thousand words.

Deep Easterly

youi wrote: »

1200 UTC today, I looked up and viewed a rather rare cloud type.
What was the pressure system over the country at the time would anyone know?

These clouds where very uniform for miles (as far as the eye could see) and they where very high up. Cirrus of some kind mabey?
They where very flat and cotton wool like (kinda). Its very hard to describe them but I would love to know the name of the type of clouds if mabey someone could tell me.

Viewing Location : Inishturk Island of Mayo Coast.

It was a beautiful site.

Were they anything like this? (not my pic)





If so then it is Altocumulus you are describing but cannot be sure but I did note some high based patchy Altocumulus sheets here (inland west) earlier this afternoon very similar in structure and height in the pic above.

Some detail on Altocumulus clouds here on my wee cloud site

http://www.skiesofireland.com/cloud-classificaton/mid-clouds/altocumulus

Harps

There were some nice undulating cloud formations over Galway around 1pm so probably something similar

Something like this although not as dramatic



and an area that looked like this, again less dramatic

Su Campu

youi wrote: »

1200 UTC today, I looked up and viewed a rather rare cloud type.
What was the pressure system over the country at the time would anyone know?

These clouds where very uniform for miles (as far as the eye could see) and they where very high up. Cirrus of some kind mabey?
They where very flat and cotton wool like (kinda). Its very hard to describe them but I would love to know the name of the type of clouds if mabey someone could tell me.

Viewing Location : Inishturk Island of Mayo Coast.

It was a beautiful site.

You're lucky in that Inishturk is slap bang between the two synoptic stations of Mace Head and Belmullet. Unfortunately neither are manned so cloud type was not reported but the automated synop reports quoted broken cloud at at 20,000 and 18,000 ft, respectively. This would be at around -30 C, which would usually be too cold for Altocumulus, but satellite imagery for the area confirms opaque cloud at 6-7000 m, meaning it probably was Ac.

This MODIS image shows the patch of Ac in the area but also some cirrus ice cloud (blue shade), which would be higher up.

http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/imagery/subsets/?subset=Europe_2_01.2012336.terra.721.500m

Wolfe_IRE

Saw this in west Clare too at around 1pm. was altocumulus like but patch quilt like than the standard ac. very purdy all the same

youi

Thanks guys.

It most have been "AC" as you all suggested. That NASA link is fantastic.

It was pretty amazing I thought.

Great forum