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
Warm weather despite the start of autumn. Temperatures worldwide. . . Wednesday, 23 September 2026
Temperature Radar for the Northern Hemisphere
Wednesday, 23 September 2026

Temperatures worldwide

Warm weather despite the start of autumn
Severe weather rolls on in Europe. Heavy rain and hail. . . Thursday, 17 September 2026
Weather radar showing severe thunderstorms and frequent lightning over northern Italy.
Thursday, 17 September 2026

Heavy rain and hail

Severe weather rolls on in Europe
Hurricane POLO remains dangerous. Many storms in the Pacific. . . Thursday, 24 September 2026
Thursday, 24 September 2026

Many storms in the Pacific

Hurricane POLO remains dangerous
All weather news
This might also interest you
Bright and warm conditions take hold. Spring-like outlook. . . Thursday, 23 April 2026
Split UK map showing warm temperatures up to 21 degrees in orange on the left and clear sunny conditions with temperatures from 12 to 18 degrees on the right, with sun icons across the country.
Thursday, 23 April 2026

Spring-like outlook

Bright and warm conditions take hold
New records for England and Wales. Broken again tomorrow?. . . Thursday, 25 June 2026
Temperature map of southwest Britain on 25.06 showing extreme heat across southern Wales and southwest England, with Bute Park in Cardiff highlighted at 34.2°C and Yeovilton at 36.4°C amid widespread deep red heat zones.
Thursday, 25 June 2026

Broken again tomorrow?

New records for England and Wales
A frozen start to the weekend. Icy conditions. . . Friday, 13 February 2026
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