Peoples' attention captured by unusual clouds in Dorset

They were captured by Ming Mok, a member of the Dorset Camera Club, who photographed them near Blandford.

Another keen Dorset photographer also spotted the apocalyptic-looking clouds near Dorchester, while another weather spotter said 'moody skies but I love those clouds'.

Photographer Ming asked our camera club if anyone else knew what these clouds are called.

She said: "Pray tell, any idea what these clouds are called? I've never seen clouds like this before, I was going past Blandford."

After some debate about whether they might be mammatus clouds, the consensus in the club was that these are asperitas clouds, the newest cloud type, according to the Met Office.

The Met Office says: "Asperitas formations are rare and resemble rippling ocean waves in the sky."

"Asperitas (formerly referred to as Undulatus Asperitas) is a distinctive, but relatively rare cloud formation that takes the appearance of rippling waves."

The Met Office adds that they way in which they form is somewhat of a mystery but their appearance is associated with the aftermath of convective thunderstorms.

However, the Dorset Echo's resident weatherman Roger Willis, who collects Weymouth weather data on a daily basis, thinks the clouds are the rarest variety of the stratocumulus clouds.

The clouds in Dorset captured by a member of the Echo's Camera Club (Image: Ming Mok)

He said: "I obviously have to carefully observe clouds and estimate their coverage of the sky.

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"The cloud formation 'asperitas', your camera club mentions is a newish discovery only described since 2007 by cloud experts.

"I think that the clouds photographed, look to me, like stratocumulus lenticularis which arise in layers of warm air rising over higher ground giving a partial lenslike look.

"I am not an expert but this is my best judgement of the cloud in the photos."

Stratocumulus lenticularis clouds are often spotted in hilly locations.

They're very different in appearance to the more spectacular altocumulus lenticularis and form when hills produce atmospheric waves, which contribute to their lens-like shape, according to the Met Office.

The Dorset Camera Club on Facebook sees photographers of all abilities share their pictures of the county in the group. 

Encouragement and advice is given and the group also gives budding photographers the chance to see their work in print and on the Dorset Echo and Bournemouth Echo's websites. You can join the group here.