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    Home / Editor's Pick /

    On the WeatherRadar - Lee waves flow over the UK and Ireland

07:00
6 July 2026

On the WeatherRadar
Lee waves flow over the UK and Ireland

Waves were flowing on the WeatherRadar, not in the ocean but in the sky over parts of the UK and Ireland.

On Saturday, as cloud cover stretched across much of the UK, cool, moist air was forced to ascent to higher altitudes producing the phenomenon known as Lee waves.

An oscillating up and down motion of the flow as the airstream interacts with the terrain results in cloud lines, at right angles to the wind direction which appear upon hitting mountainous, or hilly, areas.

Diagram illustrating mountain wave cloud formation, showing airflow over a mountain with a mountain wave cloud and lee wave cloud forming as air rises and falls, with labels indicating where droplets condense and evaporate.
Mountain waves are a type of lee wave, otherwise known as standing, stationary waves.

Every time the air rises, it cools and forms a cloud that sits at each crest of the wave. When this airflow hits the inversion it subsides and dries again.

Have you seen any near you? If so, send us a picture, we would love to see them. Upload yours here!

Ryan Hathaway
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