What do the clouds tell us?
Have you begun to appreciate the sky during these days of confinement? Now that it is cleaner than ever, especially in the cities, we want to enjoy it much more, but few of us know what the meaning of its changes is.
So the World Meteorological Organization has taken advantage of the moment to translate into several languages, including Spanish, International Cloud Atlas , available online in English since 2017.
This is the first online version of the story and an update of the last one published in 1986. Thanks to this digitized publication we can have images of clouds and other phenomena — such as dust, rainbows, halos, swirling snow or hail — that have been submitted by meteorologists, photographers and cloud lovers around the world.
"The International Cloud Atlas is the authoritative and most comprehensive reference for the identification of clouds and other meteorological phenomena. In addition to being a publication that enjoys enormous popularity among fans of the clouds, constitutes an essential tool for the training of professionals who work in meteorological services and in sectors such as aviation and maritime transport”, said Petteri Taalas, Secretary General of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO).
The Atlas will allow you to identify each type of cloud and other meteorological phenomena such as rainbows.
for meteorologists the observation of clouds is essential to understand the weather at a given moment and to formulate forecasts about its evolution . This Atlas contains images, definitions, explanations used by the 193 countries that are part of the WMO, the texts have been updated and revised and the images are of higher quality, so their value is even greater.
“WMO is pleased to present the Atlas in all the official languages of the United Nations. Now, millions of people who love cloud observation can access the content of the publication from their homes during the confinement imposed as a result of the current COVID-19 pandemic”, explained Taalas.
In the 2017 edition of the International Cloud Atlas new rankings added , for instance, volutus , a cloud in the form of a roller;** clouds produced by human activities**, such as condensation trails, that is, vapor trails generated by airplanes; Y rough , an impressive undulating cloud that has captivated the population.
The current international cloud classification system in Latin** dates back to 1803**, when the amateur meteorologist Luke Howard wrote the book Essay on the Modifications of Clouds.
thanks to this essay we know that there are 10 different types of clouds . And between the classification of him the clouds they can be tall , which usually form above 5,000 meters; stockings , which usually form between 2,000 and 7,000 meters; Y low , which normally form at a maximum altitude of 2,000 meters.
“Clouds play a major role in weather forecasts and warnings. Contribute to the water cycle and the entire climate system . Throughout history, they have inspired artists, poets, musicians, photographers and countless other cloud lovers,” shares Taalas.