A viral video which is currently circulating on social media shows the formation of spectacular clouds during the heavy monsoon rains in Haridwar. This meteorological occurrence is commonly known as a ‘shelf cloud,’ or sometimes referred to as an ‘Arcus cloud.’
A shelf cloud is a type of low-lying, horizontal cloud formation characterized by a clearly defined line of solid clouds. What enhances its visual impact is the horizontal rotation it exhibits.
The video has been shared on Twitter by user named ‘Anindya Singh’ who claims that it was shared to him by a friend.
However, the Livemint has not independently confirmed the authenticity of the video.
The viral video has left several online viewers in shock, making them even more curious about the formation of such a remarkable meteorological structure.
The video footage shows clouds as a towering wall, close to how a snow-capped mountain would appear. Notably, individuals can be observed walking along the road as the cloud forms against it.
Watch the video here:
Since the video was uploaded on twitter, it has garnered almost 135.3K views, 1,874 likes and 491 retweets.
The Shelf clouds, also called Arcus cloud, are known for their distinctive wedge-shaped formation. They extends horizontally beneath the main cloud base and typically appears on the leading edge of a storm, the Weather Zone said
The formation of shelf clouds occurs when a mass of cold and dense air is forcefully driven by the wind into a warmer air mass. This phenomenon takes place during the downdraft of a thunderstorm, where the cold air rapidly descends and disperses, creating a strong gust front.
Meanwhile, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted that Uttarakhand will witness intense rain for the next three days. The department has issued an alert for heavy rains rains in Haridwar, Udham Singh Nagar, Nainital, Champawat, Pithoragarh, Bageshwar, Almora, Pauri, Dehradun, Tehri and Chamoli in next 48 hours.
The Badrinath National Highway and several other roads in Uttarakhand were blocked due to incessant rains and landslides on Monday,
Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has urged people to avoid unnecessary travelling and also requested tourists to visit the state only after the situation becomes normal.
Due to incessant rains, all the major rivers, including Ganga are in spate.
In Haridwar, the water level of Ganga was recorded at 292 metres at 8 am, just two metres below the danger level.
The state has already been witnessing torrential rain since last week.
Six deaths have been reported from the state so far in rain-related incidents, including landslides.
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Updated: 11 Jul 2023, 02:31 AM IST