Nimbostratus
Topic: Water in the Atmosphere: Humidity, Condensation, Clouds and Precipitation · NCERT: Class 11, Ch 10 "Water in the Atmosphere"
Meaning
Nimbostratus is a low, thick, dark grey layer of cloud. "Nimbo" means rain and "stratus" means layered. It blocks the Sun completely. It gives long spells of steady rain or snow, not short bursts. It is typical of warm fronts, where warm air slides slowly up over cold air.
Example
In winter, warm fronts from the Atlantic bring nimbostratus over north-western Europe, for example over Ireland and Britain. The cloud gives grey days of steady, widespread rain.
Don't confuse with
- Cumulonimbus: a towering storm cloud that gives short, heavy showers with thunder, lightning and hail. Nimbostratus is a flat layer that gives long, steady rain with no thunder.
- Stratus: also low and grey, but thinner, and it gives only drizzle.
Related concepts
- Cloud classification by height
- Cirrostratus
- Cirrocumulus
- Altostratus
- Altocumulus
- Stratocumulus
- Cumulonimbus