Morning Glory Cloud in Burketown – 2015

Morning Glory Cloud in Burketown – 2015 [Other images from 2015]

Meteorological events that result in peculiar formations are rare, but the Burketown Morning Glory cloud formation is one of difference.

It requires a complex group of conditions with a trough line from the Gulf, a north-east wind flow and a south-east flow from behind the trough line. It often forms around the equinox [even-days-and-even-nights] showing as a cloud-form which can reach from it’s tip in the gulf at Burketown and up to the north of Weipa.

Conditions are heading in the right direction for a formation to occur on Tuesday 22nd September 2015.

Quite a few people are waiting and a report from a pilot [Bill] this morning, said that there was a 10 knot north-east air flow at 3000FT.

Good news for Tuesday morning.

Burketown main street view – the twisted cloud strands can be seen

The view of the formation to the north-east of Burketown just on sun-up.

Visiting glider parked at Burketown airport waiting for the correct conditions. the glider is a Motor-Glider with landing gear using a single piston engine – manufactured by STEMME [STEMME GMBH & CO KG] and a S10 model from Western Australia.