Cumulonimbus incus
A cumulonimbus incus (Latin incus, "anvil") also known as an anvil cloud is a cumulonimbus cloud which has reached the level of stratospheric stability and has formed the characteristic flat, anvil-top shape. It signifies the thunderstorm in its mature stage, succeeding the cumulonimbus calvus stage. Cumulonimbus incus is a sub-form of Cumulonimbus capillatus.
| Cumulonimbus incus | |
|---|---|
 A cumulonimbus incus cloud, showing the characteristic anvil-top shape the cloud type displays | |
| Abbreviation | Cb inc. |
| Genus | Cumulonimbus (heap, cloud/severe rain) |
| Species | Capillatus (fibrous) |
| Appearance | Large flat-top cloud |
| Precipitation cloud? | Yes, often intense |
Hazards
A cumulonimbus incus is a mature thunderstorm cloud generating many dangerous elements.
- Lightning; this storm cloud is capable of producing bursts of cloud to ground lightning.
- Hail; hailstones may fall from this cloud if it's a highly unstable environment (which favors a more vigorous storm updraft).
- Heavy rain; this cloud may drop several inches of rain in a short amount of time. This can cause flash flooding.
- Strong wind; gale-force winds from a downburst may occur under this cloud.
- Tornadoes; in severe cases (most commonly with supercells), it can produce tornadoes.
Classification
Cumulonimbus clouds can be powerful. If the correct atmospheric conditions are met, they can grow into a supercell storm. This cloud may be a single-cell thunderstorm or one cell in a multicellular thunderstorm. They are capable of producing severe storm conditions for a short amount of time.
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