Friday 24th October 2025

Over the grazing cows in Collingbourne Kingston, Wiltshire, England looms a Cumulonimbus capillatus incus. David Burnett (Member 9,444) spotted his lone storm cloud on an ‘active day of showers’. He notes that the cloud is ‘marshmallow soft but still packed with atmospheric power!’, and he’s absolutely right. The cloud’s soft, wispy appearance comes from its fibrous top, looking like a head of wild hair, which makes it the capillatus species of the storm cloud. Cumulonimbus capillatus forms in the stage of development of a storm cloud when all the water droplets up in its spreading top, or incus, have frozen into ice crystals. Don’t be fooled by the warm evening sunshine and the apparent passing of the showers. Just as David noted, the icy top of this Cumulonimbus means the storm still packs a thunder-, lightning-, and heavy-precipitation punch.




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