Home / Editor's Pick /

Kelvin-Helmholtz Clouds: Waves in the sky

16:00
20 June 2022

Kelvin-Helmholtz Clouds
Waves in the sky

Kelvin-Holmholtz cloudKelvin-Helmholtz clouds spotted over Yorkshire in 2022. - © Paul Foster

This is a fantastic and rare shot of a wave-crashing cloud captured over Ingleton, North Yorkshire by a Weather & Radar user, do you know what they are?

Known as Kelvin-Helmholtz Wave Clouds, these types of cloud only last for a few minutes before dissipating without a trace.

Kelvin-Helmholtz clouds appear when the air is very unstable. They form when faster-moving, warm air flows over slower-moving, colder and denser air. If the speed at which the warm air travels over the colder air is fast enough, the undulating wave-like formation of the cloud appears.

These types of clouds can be spotted anywhere but vanish as quickly as they appear, so you need to be quick on the trigger!

If you spot waves in the clouds, or any natural spectacle, we would love to see! Submit images and videos using our uploader.

Weather & Radar editorial team
More on the topic
pinecones
Thursday, 11 December 2025

Winter helpers

How pine cones aid the weather forecast
Radar map showing widespread blue rain bands over the UK and Ireland with a triangular heavy-rain warning icon placed over central Britain.
Tuesday, 16 December 2025

Thursday rain

Incoming downpour prompts warnings
The weather map shows extremely low temperatures in Canada.
Monday, 15 December 2025

Minus 53 degrees

Record cold in Canada's Yukon Territory
All weather news
This might also interest you
Mammatus clouds
Thursday, 21 August 2025

Unusual view

Mammatus clouds over Ireland
plit image showing a double rainbow over a rocky shoreline on the left and sheep grazing in a green field under stormy clouds on the right.
Sunday, 2 November 2025

Your weather - Your shots

Mixed conditions on an unsettled week
Split weather map showing UK wind speeds in orange-red shades up to 40 mph on the left and warning levels in green-yellow on the right, with a central wind warning sign.
Wednesday, 22 October 2025

Warnings active

Storm Benjamin impacts the UK
All articles
Weather & Radar

Weather & Radar is also available on

Google Play StoreApp Store

Company

Contact us Privacy Policy Legal info Accessibility statement

Services

Uploader

Socials

facebooktwittertikToklinkList