Strange cloud rolls over Alice Springs

Alice Springs residents have been treated to an unusual sight this morning - a twisting diagonal cloud formation.Sally Cutter from the weather bureau says it is a roll cloud.She says roll clouds are similar to the morning glory clouds seen in the Gulf of Carpentaria."I suppose the question is what's actually caused it to come out," she said."You either get a wave in the atmosphere or something, so it could be on the front of the surge there."That high [pressure system] is moving in so it could have just sort of pulsed up a bit of a slightly stronger wind."It's a little bit of a mystery."Full Story

This is quite bizarre and has local meteorologist stumped. I am really interested to hear what OzWeatherman makes of it.

Is this a natural phenomena, or is there something else going on?

Perhaps it is a vapour trail left by a UFO travelling near the speed of light right before it burst through the dimensional barrier and begins a new time-travel journey!

yes I know that is a kooky theory but I just thought I would get everyone’s imagination going!

It looks like the neck of a lock ness monster. I've seen clouds like this before. I have seen them so much that I wouldnt even think twice about seeing them but I dont know what they are. Pretty stuff, good pic as well!

It looks like a dark Tubular! Cloud:

www.wired.com...

reply to post by WorldObserver


Here it is, in Bourketown with someone hang gliding, over and around it
They call it the Morning Glory there...

Nice image, strange to see it near Alice Springs though. I personally know Sally Cutter actually, I worked with her in Darwin. I think it may have soemthing to do with a disturbance in the large high pressure system sitting to the south of Adelaide. Its hard to say what caused it though, and its probably some local anomaly within the mid latitude regions of the upper air.

Ive never seen anything like that, thank you for posting it, OP.

I love weather and that is just beautiful!!!

Originally posted by Yummy Freelunch
Ive never seen anything like that, thank you for posting it, OP.

I love weather and that is just beautiful!!!

To me, it looks like death.

Originally posted by 911stinks

Originally posted by Yummy Freelunch
Ive never seen anything like that, thank you for posting it, OP.

I love weather and that is just beautiful!!!

To me, it looks like death.

I guess you have to be a fan of storms Its cyclonic looking

Originally posted by Yummy Freelunch
I guess you have to be a fan of storms

Its cyclonic looking

Actually roll clouds are not associated with storms at all

This particular one is observed in a strong anti-cyclonic (high pressure system) environment. The weather is stable in high pressure systems.

Originally posted by OzWeatherman

Originally posted by Yummy Freelunch
I guess you have to be a fan of storms

Its cyclonic looking

Actually roll clouds are not associated with storms at all

This particular one is observed in a strong anti-cyclonic (high pressure system) environment. The weather is stable in high pressure systems.

Shows you what I know..lol..but it LOOKS storm-like

Originally posted by Yummy Freelunch
Shows you what I know..lol..but it LOOKS storm-like

It does a bit

Occasionally shelf clouds and arcus clouds are mis indentified as roll lcouds, but these form on the outflow areas of thunderstorms. Roll clouds form individually, usually on lines of sea breezes. Back in Darwin we used to see them form over night on the satellite imagery (the morning glory ones anyway), and by morning they would usually reach the coast. The hang gliders always call to see the chances of them forming

reply to post by OzWeatherman


Well, storm or not..they are amazing and beautiful Id love to live somewhere where I can see them..I live in the midwest..so all we get is tornadoes..lol

Reminds me of Donnie Darko... Maybe we are in a tangent universe after all.