'Doomsday cloud' shrouds Maryland in darkness
A dramatic cloud formation appeared in the skies of Maryland as severe thunderstorms ripped through the state. Footage showed a dark, low shelf cloud moving through the area while flash flood, thunderstorm and tornado warnings were active Wednesday. Locals captured a tube-like cloud that seemed to go on for miles as it hung over entire neighborhoods.
Meteorologists have confirmed the formation was a shelf cloud, a low, wedge-shaped cloud that forms along the leading edge of a thunderstorm's gust front. It is a type of arcus cloud, and its formation is a result of cool, downdraft air from the thunderstorm pushing out and lifting warmer, moist air ahead of it.This rising air then condenses, creating the characteristic shelf-like appearance. While this was a natural phenomena, locals proclaimed the sightings as being 'Doomsday in Maryland.'
The US National Weather Service (NWS) issued a severe thunderstorm watch for parts of the state and Delaware , Maryland, New Jersey and Pennsylvania Wednesday. The agency also put a tornado warning in effect until 7pm ET in Bowie, Maryland where the cloud was spotted. Shelf clouds are typically found along the leading edge of a supercell thunderstorm.
They formations are often mistaken for tornadoes or funnel clouds as they are found just a couple hundred feet above the ground. The shelf cloud in Maryland appeared to shroud a massive area in darkness as it formed over a giant apartment complex. The short clip, shared by Camryn Draughn via Storyful, shows a huge horizontal wall stretching from the horizon.
Shelf clouds typically develop along the leading edge of a thunderstorm, especially in association with strong downdrafts. As rain-cooled air descends from the storm and spreads outward along the ground, it pushes into the warmer, more humid air ahead of the storm. This boundary, known as a gust front or outflow boundary, forces the warm air to rapidly rise.
As this warm, moist air lifts, it cools and condenses into a low, horizontal cloud formation, the shelf cloud. These clouds often appear as a dramatic, wedge-shaped structure that can stretch for miles, with a ragged, turbulent underside. The rising air feeding the shelf cloud typically tilts backward into the storm, while the cooler air underneath flows outward toward observers, sometimes creating intense wind gusts just before the rain begins. Though they may look ominous and are often mistaken for tornadoes, shelf clouds do not rotate and are not inherently dangerous on their own, but they are a clear sign of strong winds and potentially severe weather moving in quickly.
Another bizarre cloud formation left beachgoers in Portugal were left terrified after spotting what appeared to a tsunami heading their way this month. Images shared across social media showed the massive shelf cloud stretching over the ocean and onto the shore, accompanied by a violent gust of wind when it reached land. 'Felt like a tsunami out of a movie!' one user tweeted, while another wrote: 'If this isn't the start of a disaster movie, I don't know what is.' Thankfully, this strange phenomenon was not a tsunami after all. Instead, meteorologists have confirmed that this was a strange type of cloud known as a 'roll cloud.'
Roll clouds are one of two forms of arcus clouds - low-level, wide-ranging clouds that are usually seen alongside thunderstorms. 'Shelf clouds are attached to the storm cloud, whereas Roll clouds are a horizontal column separated from the storm cloud,' the Met Office explained. Roll clouds - also known as arcus clouds - are low-level, wide ranging clouds that are typically associated with powerful storm clouds and thunderstorms. 'Arcus clouds are spectacular low-level, long and thin clouds associated with powerful thunderstorms,' the Met Office explained. 'They are sometimes seen beneath Cumulonimbus clouds. Roll clouds are one of two forms of arcus clouds - low-level, wide-ranging clouds that are usually seen alongside thunderstorms. 'Shelf clouds are attached to the storm cloud, whereas Roll clouds are a horizontal column separated from the storm cloud,' the Met Office explained
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