Cloud Atlas
Cumulonimbus (Cb)
The thunderstorm cloud — a huge tower with an anvil top when mature.
How to spot it
- Very tall, mountain-like tower
- Top often fibrous/striated and flattened into an anvil
- Dark base with ragged lower clouds (scud) sometimes underneath
What it can mean
- Thunderstorms: lightning, heavy rain, gust fronts
- Can produce hail and tornadoes in some conditions
- Treat as a safety signal, not just a photo subject
Photography tips
- Shoot from a safe distance — don’t be the tallest thing around
- Use a longer lens to compress structure
- Try timelapse to capture growth and anvil spread