Sunday Skies

Another orographical cloud. It has a smooth outline as the cloud is continually reforming. Also called a lenticular cloud - i.e. lens or lentil shaped. The lenses are usually over hills.

As a tramper its important to know this means bad weather in the mountains.

This NorWester is formed by the westerly air which picks up moisture from the Tasman Sea, then goes up and over the Southern Alps dumping rain, then it barrels down to the plains as a very hot wind.

Here is how the sky looked a few hours later. The arch over the mountains is more formed.