Rare Nacreous clouds spotted over Aberdeenshire

The low winter sun on Sunday morning provided ideal conditions across Aberdeenshire for those at the right latitude to see a rare cloud type.

High in the atmosphere stratospheric temperatures fell to a level cold enough for Type II Polar Stratospheric Clouds (Nacreous Clouds) to form south of Turriff, with observations coming in on social media from Turriff, Ellon, Fraserburgh and New Deer areas.

Earlier in the day, photos were also shared on various social media groups of sightings seen in Perth, Dundee and Lossiemouth.

And at sunset around 3.30pm the display continued as more reports continued to come in from across the nort-east and as far as Elgin as the setting sun illuminated the high atmospheric clouds.

Polar stratospheric clouds occur at altitudes of 15,000–25,000 m (49,000–82,000 ft).

While normally best observed at sunset when the sun is between one and six degrees below the horizon, the low level of the winter sun has made them visible.

Generally made of supercooled droplets of water it takes this combination of angle and cloud to create the lenticular forms of these pearlescent clouds, conditions which were were also seen over Aberdeenshire earlier this month and back in January.

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