Cumulus congestus
Cu con
Cumulus congestus
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Description
The name "congestus" (Latin: piled up, heaped) describes the impressive vertical extent of this cloud. Cumulus congestus are strongly developed convective clouds with cauliflower-like, sharply defined towers that stretch far upward. Their tops consist entirely of water droplets and therefore display sharp, clearly defined contours without the fibrous or anvil-shaped structure of a cumulonimbus. The vertical extent can span several kilometres, and the cloud can produce considerable amounts of precipitation. Cumulus congestus represents a transitional stage between the harmless cumulus mediocris and the thunderstorm-producing cumulonimbus.
Identification Features
- Massive, tower-like convective cloud with great vertical extent
- Top is cauliflower-like, sharply defined and brilliantly white
- No glaciation visible at the cloud summit (no fibrous or anvil-type structure)
- Significantly larger than cumulus mediocris, can reach heights of 6,000 m and above
- Base is relatively dark and flat, as the cloud absorbs a large amount of sunlight
- Can already produce precipitation in the form of rain showers
- Individual towers or groups of towers developing rapidly upward
- Lateral contours appear as swollen domes or bulging masses
Occurrence by genus
Highlighted: all genera with which congestus occurs.
Meteorological Significance
Cumulus congestus indicates strong convective uplift and an unstable atmosphere. This cloud is frequently a precursor to cumulonimbus and therefore to thunderstorms, which is why its observation serves as a warning signal for approaching severe storms. Heavy rain showers and, in rare cases, graupel can already fall from cumulus congestus. When several such clouds occur simultaneously, the probability is high that fully developed thunderstorm cells will form within a short period of time. In tropical regions, they play a central role in the daily convection cycle and in the redistribution of energy within the atmosphere.
Facts
- WMO-Code
- Cu con
- Height layer
- Vertical clouds
- Typical height
- 0.5 - 2.0 km
- Genus
- CUMULUS