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21
Dec 2023
Rare mother of pearl clouds above Harrogate and Knaresborough
Nacreous clouds, a rare and very high cloud formation, covered the Harrogate district skies this morning.
The iridescent clouds, which are also knows as mother of pearl clouds, were spotted by readers just after sunrise.
The Met Office says the clouds, which usually form over polar regions when the sun is just below the horizon, are some of the highest clouds on earth – between 20km and 30km high in the stratosphere.
The sky over Knaresborough this morning. Pic: Emma Meadus
They require low temperatures to form, so are generally only visible when the cold air which circulates around polar regions in the stratosphere is displaced and hovers over the UK.
They are mostly associated with dry and cold weather.
The Harrogate sky just after 9am. Pic: Anna Mcintee.
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