Strathgordon, Tasmania: Asperitas cloud. Asperitas is a rare blanket of cloud that looks lumpy and new to classification. It was added to 2017's International Cloud Atlas by the World Meteorological Organisation. Altocumulus stratiformis Opacus Asperitas is the full name of this cloud. Altocumulus is the cloud type and height - cumulus clouds in the middle of the atmosphere. Stratiformis means it has formed in a layer. Opacus is a layer that's thick enough to obscure the sun. Asperitas is Latin for roughness and refers to the appearance of its waves.
Photograph by Dotan Beck/Bureau of Meterology
