Why cloudspotting should be your next 'slow living' hobby
I thought it would be fun to start the Cloud Appreciation Society because clouds divide opinion.
Many of us dislike the fact that the clouds and weather can’t be controlled, and see clouds as an obstruction, getting in the way of a barbecue.
But we have more than 60,000 members in 120 countries who agree that clouds are nothing to moan about. They are the most diverse, evocative, poetic aspect of nature.
Clouds allow us to slow down
Aristophanes, the ancient Greek playwright, described clouds as “the patron goddesses of idle fellows”. Watching them has always been associated with wasting time. After all, the clouds you’re looking at are destined to dissipate into nothing.
Looking for shapes is an activity tinged with nostalgia; once we’re sensible adults, there’s less time to gaze up at puffy Cumulus clouds and spot two cats dancing the salsa, for instance.
The digital world conspires to make us feel perpetually busy, but cloudspotting legitimises doing nothing.
Tuning into clouds allows us to slow down. It’s an antidote to feeling that we’re experiencing life through a screen. And it’s not about trying to find the most beautiful, dramatic or unusual formation; you don’t have to live in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty to see outstanding skies.
The best place for cloudspotting is wherever you are: from your window, your back garden or the park.
There are lots of great cloudspotting days in the autumn – look out for a combination of sun and cloud on your weather app. Often, the beauty of clouds comes from their interaction with the sunlight and how the two affect each other, and that happens a lot during the cold, clear days of autumn.
In the UK, sunrise is a better time of day to watch the clouds than sunset. The thermals that often kick off low cloud are less likely to have developed at the start of the day, so your view won’t be blocked by a low Stratocumulus layer of cloud. Instead, the sunrise lights up the clouds higher up in the sky and gives you a more dramatic vista, such as the one seen right.
Different types of clouds to spot
It’s not important to learn all the geeky Latin names, but learning some of them helps you focus your attention on the sky. It’s part of engaging with your surroundings, helping you enjoy spending time looking upwards instead of at a screen.
Noctilucent – or “night shining” – clouds are shrouded in mystery. They can be spotted at higher latitudes, in places such as Scotland, Scandinavia and Canada, and form up to 85 kilometres high in the sky. These clouds are so high up that they can still catch the light even after the sun has set over the horizon and this part of the atmosphere has darkened. They have a ghostly, bluish, rippled appearance, such as the ones on the left, and have been observed more frequently in recent times. Some suspect this might be because of climate change, but they might also be a reaction to tiny particulates from rockets travelling through the mesosphere.
The Nimbostratus is the cloud that gives the other clouds a bad name. They’re the ones that produce drizzly rain that goes on and on. They don’t give you much to look at in the sky and they hang around for a long time.
We gave our eldest daughter the middle name Cirrus, after the thin clouds that look like long streaks of flowing hair. Occasionally when sunlight shines through them, you can see beautiful bands of pastel colours, known as cloud iridescence.
The first cloud I remember noticing was one I saw as a child from a car window. There was a big cloud behind the sun, with sun rays bursting out of it. I know now that they’re called crepuscular rays – and they really grab your attention, don’t they? You often see them in Baroque paintings in churches.
The 22° halo appears as a ring of light surrounding the sun or moon, but it’s often too dazzling to see it around the sun. The halo is created by moon or sunlight shining through ice crystals in a high layer of cloud such as the Cirrostratus. The light refracts when it enters and exits each crystal, bending the light and creating a ring 22° around the sun. More frequent than rainbows, you’ll notice them once you start looking.
It’s easy to spot a storm cloud. Tall clouds always have a dark base, because the sunlight can’t filter its way down – and any cloud that’s tall is most likely to produce precipitation. Also, the Arcus cloud, from the Latin for “arch”, has a curved edge like the bumper of a car. If you spot one at the front of a storm cloud, it’s coming your way.
Part of the climate crisis conversation
Clouds are a huge part of the conversation around the climate crisis because they have a strong effect on temperatures. Low Cumulus clouds block out light from the sun and bring a cooling effect. The highest clouds don’t affect sunlight reaching the ground, but they reflect the earth’s heat.
As temperatures change, no one knows whether we will get more high or low clouds. It’s an area of active research. However, a warmer climate holds more moisture before forming clouds, so when they do form, there’s more fuel for the storm cloud to develop. Those super-tall, Cumulonimbus storm clouds that spread out like an anvil at the top are likely to become taller and create more powerful storms.
It’s hard to choose a favourite, but I do love the Lenticular cloud, which is shaped like a flying saucer. It’s an amazingly symmetrical disc that looks otherworldly. It seems to hover in place and is commonly found in mountainous terrain.
Read Cloudspotting for Beginners by Gavin Pretor-Pinney (Particular Books, £20) or visit cloudappreciationsociety.org.
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