Social media was inundated with pictures of “UFO clouds” spotted in Cape Town, South Africa. The images were captured on Sunday. But these clouds are not as scary as they look and have a scientifically-sound explanation. They are called lenticular clouds after their lens-like appearance.
Lenticular clouds form as air is forced to rise over a mountain. The moist air cools as it climbs and condenses into a disk shape. These particular clouds formed over Cape Town’s Table Mountain, which reaches 3,500 feet.
For WeatherNation: Meteorologist, Monica Cryan
(Headline image: Photo by: @mijlof)