The Uruguayan Institute of Meteorology (Inumet) explained this Thursday what it is about the phenomenon of “volutus cloud or roller cloud”, which was seen in “some cities of the country” in the last hours.
“It is a gust front that occurs in the boundary between cold air from a storm and the surrounding air”as read on the institute’s Twitter.
The phenomenon that could be observed from some cities in the country (volutus cloud or roller cloud), is a gust front that occurs on the border between the cold air coming from a storm and the surrounding air. pic.twitter.com/5yVUQb3SIO
– Inumet (@MeteorologiaUy) December 8, 2022
“Usually, It is associated with a sudden increase in pressure, a turn of the wind and a drop in temperature, and sometimes also heavy precipitation. Also, arc cloudiness is characteristic”, adds Inumet.
The institute attached also an image of how the phenomenon was seen.
Natalia Peralta
Photo of the rolling cloud taken by Natalie Peralta and shared on Twitter by Inumet
Twitter user @AntonioFOlano He uploaded an image of the sky at dawn this Thursday in Maldonado.
@AntonioFOlano
“Roller” cloud over Maldonado this Thursday, December 8 at 05:30 p.m.
In previous years, Inumet had also shared images of roller clouds, explaining the phenomenon. For example, the following photo shows the phenomenon on the Tres Cruces mall.
Marcela Larrea
Roll or tubular cloud entering Montevideo, Uruguay, in December 2021
In October of that year, Inumet’s head of forecasts, Néstor Santayana, pointed out that “It is a very showy cloudiness.” “If it is associated with medium cloudiness with high cumulus clouds, it is called volatuswhich is the technical name“ he added on a mobile with Telemundo.
“It occurs mainly in coastal areas. It is quite frequent when they are of small dimension, and when they are proportions of large dimensions it is a bit infrequent. But we have also seen it. In reality it does not generate danger, except for air navigation, because it generates a turbulent flow. Those who they do sports linked to the wind is quite dangerous for them”, Santayana explained on that occasion.
In November 2020the institute also shared images of a roll cloud in the country’s capital.
inumet
Roll cloud in the sky of Montevideo on November 29, 2020
