Why are the clouds in Beijing so beautiful these days? Expert Analysis of the Cause of Cold Vortex | Weather | Expert
These days, the blue sky and colorful clouds in Beijing have been shining on my social media. Many citizens have been captured by this beautiful scenery and cannot help but share it with everyone. What's special about the clouds these past two days?
Meteorological expert Zhang Mingying told Beijing Daily reporters that in recent days, the diverse and colorful clouds in the sky have attracted everyone's attention, and the weather background that produces this phenomenon is brought about by the high-altitude cold vortex weather system in the Northeast region. This type of cold vortex is commonly referred to as the "Northeast Cold Vortex". It causes a significant decrease in the temperature of the upper atmosphere, resulting in an increase in the temperature difference between high and low air, causing instability in the atmosphere. Under unstable atmospheric conditions, it is prone to thermal convection of the air up and down. When the lower air rises and encounters cold, it forms clouds. This type of cloud is called an extended cloud, which is a vertically upward cloud that can develop to very high altitudes. And when it matures, it will become a towering cumulonimbus cloud, which will bring strong convective weather such as thunderstorms.
Since the formation of the Northeast Cold Vortex on June 6th, this type of convective cloud has been continuously appearing in Beijing. However, due to the low humidity in the air, the generated cloud intensity is weak, and only showers or thunderstorms appear in mountainous areas or some areas. In most areas, convective clouds of different heights and shapes are displayed. In addition, this type of cloud has obvious diurnal variation characteristics. In the morning, it is often clear for thousands of miles, and in the afternoon, the cloud layer gradually increases. However, before and after sunset, the cloud layer weakens. At this time, when light shines on the cloud body, a beautiful sunset may appear.
Due to the stability of the cold vortex system, it can often remain in place for three to five days, so in recent days, everyone has seen colorful and diverse convective clouds. Zhang Mingying said that although the Northeast cold vortex system occurs throughout the four seasons, it often performs more prominently in early summer and is prone to strong convective weather. "It can be said that the influence of warm air gradually increases in early summer, but sometimes cold air invades, manifested in the complex cloud layers and various types of clouds in the air. It can be said that this is the best season for observing clouds in Beijing."