Winners of the Weather Photographer of the Year Contest Celebrate the Beauty of Nature

“Beautiful Mammatus Clouds above Pag Town” by Danijel Palčić (Croatia). Finalist.
“The development of a strong storm over mainland Croatia resulted in this epic vista, which Danijel describes as one of the most beautiful scenes of mammatus clouds he has ever witnessed in his entire life. Upon seeing them, Danijel drove to the nearest location on the Island of Pag with the best view of the town and the storm to take a few panoramic shots.
Mammatus clouds appear as a series of bulges or pouches hanging from the base of a cloud and are often said to resemble the udders of a cow. They are thought to form from sinking pockets of cold, moist air and typically develop on the underside of a storm cloud. However, they can also be found amongst other types of cloud, such as cirrocumulus, altostratus, altocumulus, and stratocumulus. Long-lasting mammatus are a sign of large drops and snow crystals in the sinking air. The mammatus clouds seen here soon disappeared after Danijel took his shot.”