Morning Glory Cloud

Not fragile, but this forum often has beautiful Earth things on it.



AT this time of year, one of the rarest weather phenomena ever seen happens in the Gulf of Carpentaria, Queensland, when the morning glory clouds come rolling through.

Tourists come from all over the world to witness the rare phenomenon, as gliders surf the very edge of the cloud, which can stretch for several hundred kilometres.

The long, cigar-shaped formation known as the Morning Glory Cloud rolls elusively across the waters off far northwestern Queensland’s Bourketown for just a few weeks each year.

It creates perfect conditions that allow non-motorised gliders to surf the thermals in front of it for hundreds of kilometres.

The isolated Gulf Country township the only place in the world where the meteorological phenomenon can be reasonably predicted to arrive.



[url=http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/morning-glory-cloud-weather-phenomenon-coming-to-queensland/story-fnkt21jb-1227081216729]source[/ur l]

Awesome. As a wannabe meteorologist I could probably say how they are formed, but that would just ruin it.

It's the ocean in the sky! How wonderful it must be to be a glider, up there….
Thanks for the pictures.
tetra50

I love these clouds and also mammatus clouds. Beautiful formations.

Mind you, these clouds are really long, round a fat.... Morning Glory... hmmm methinks those meteorologists have a dirty sense of humour.

There was an old thread about these clouds before I think, had some great pics in it. *goes searching*


Here they are.
ATS Morning Glory

Also will add this fantastic video Timely posted in that thread.


(sorry one more edit to add a video of my favourite mammatus) Also, note my username! (Spelt silly on purpose)

a reply to: Cinrad

Beautiful! Those clouds are reminiscent of waves and pipelines, very interesting looking.

The isolated Gulf Country township the only place in the world where the meteorological phenomenon can be reasonably predicted to arrive.

Adding this to the bucket list!

a reply to: Qumulys

I took these photos on the same evening, any idea what they are?

a reply to: Cinrad

Without kind of knowing the exact height they may be a little harder to put a pin on. But they sort of appear in shape kind of like a mammatus from a distance, but they are not. These look like a much higher but also a much flatter puffy layer. They size of the puffs and height determine whether it is an altoculmulus layer, or a cirrocumulus. In my opinion I'd say these are most likely lovely close knit examples of cirrocumulus. Great shots!

Those are awesome looking clouds. It makes you just want to go fly through them with and ultralight. I am always amazed at the things Nature does and the beauty often displayed. Thanks for showing me those awesome pics.!