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Hazardous cloud
Cumulonimbus capillatus
Abbreviation Cb cap. Symbol
Altitude Ground to 23,000 m (75,000 ft) Appearance Dark-based storm cloud capable of impressive vertical growth, with a fibrous upper portion
Precipitation Very often
rain ,
snow ,
snow pellets , or
hail ; heavy at times
A cumulonimbus capillatus is a
cumulonimbus cloud with dense
cirrus clouds above it, making the
cloud top appear to contain hair-like structures. The name comes from the Latin word
capillatus , meaning "with hair".
[1]
It is an intermediate stage between
cumulonimbus calvus and
cumulonimbus incus .
Hazards
A cumulonimbus capillatus is a mature and powerful
cumulonimbus cloud and can produce multiple severe weather.
Lightning ; this is a strong
thunderstorm cloud and it is capable of producing bursts of cloud to ground and cloud to cloud
lightning .
Hail ; hailstones may fall from this cloud if it is in a highly unstable environment (which favors a more vigorous storm
updraft ).
Heavy
rain ; the cloud may drop several inches of rain in a short amount of time. This can cause
flash flooding .
Strong
wind ; gale-force winds from a
downburst may occur under this cloud.
References
Cloud
genera and selected species, supplementary features, and other airborne
hydrometeors -
WMO Latin terminology except where indicated
Mesospheric
Extreme-level 80–85 km
Noctilucent (NLC) Polar mesospheric clouds
Noctilucent type I veils
Noctilucent type II bands
Noctilucent type III billows
Noctilucent type IV whirls
Stratospheric
Tropospheric
High-level 3–18 km
Medium-level 2–8 km
Low-level 0–2 km
Non-height specific
Varieties Supplementary features Mother clouds and human-made clouds
(Mother cloud)+genitus (e.g. cumulogenitus (cugen)
(Mother cloud)+mutatus (e.g. cumulomutatus (cumut)
Homogenitus (hogen)
Homomutatus (homut)