Home
Weather London
WeatherRadar
RainfallRadar
TemperatureRadar
WindRadar
LightningRadar
Weather News
Editor's Pick
Discover the app
Weather widget
Contact us
Apps
Career
    Home / Editor's Pick /

    Waves in the sky - Kelvin-Helmholtz clouds over Swansea

09:00
6 May 2026

Waves in the sky
Kelvin-Helmholtz clouds over Swansea

Kelvin-Helmholtz wave clouds forming rolling crest shapes above modern buildings under a clear blue sky, with smooth white cloud bands resembling breaking ocean waves.
Wave clouds pictured over Swansea. - © Carole Saunders

Crashing waves are usually spotted off the coast on windy days, but every so often the skies above can bring an altogether different type of waves.

Spotted over Swansea, Wales, wave clouds or Kelvin-Helmholtz clouds are quick to form and quick to disappear without a trace soon after.

These clouds appear when the air is very unstable. Forming 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 in the cloud appears.

This phenomenon can be spotted anywhere - just be quick at getting your picture!

Ryan Hathaway
More on the topic
Weather map of Europe showing a high-pressure system over Central Europe, low-pressure systems over the Atlantic and Turkey, numerous sun symbols, and temperatures ranging from 4 to over 40 degrees.
Thursday, 21 May 2026

Omega block

The weather in Europe is changing
Weather map of the USA showing an active thunderstorm front between Kansas City and Minneapolis. Numerous lightning symbols indicate severe thunderstorms, along with a severe weather warning symbol.
Monday, 18 May 2026

Tornadoes possible

Dangerous thunderstorm front over the US
Temperature map of Europe showing thermometers. Warm air is found in the south, with cooler temperatures in Central Europe.
Thursday, 14 May 2026

Contrasts in Europe

Early summer around the Mediterranean
All weather news
This might also interest you
Split image showing aerial flooding in a town with muddy water covering roads on the left, and a rural road on the right blocked by heavy snowfall with vans stopped and a person walking in snow.
Tuesday, 27 January 2026

Storm Chandra

Flooding, gales, and heavy snow
Weather graphic showing rain and wind fields over the Canary Islands and a central warning symbol.
Friday, 12 December 2025

Storm and rain

Turbulent weather in the Canary Islands
UK temperature map dated 14.02 showing widespread subzero values in blue shading, with readings such as −4 in Glasgow, −3 in Dublin, and −2 in London, alongside a blue thermometer icon.
Friday, 13 February 2026

Icy conditions

A frozen start to the weekend
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