Rare cloud phenomena called Kelvin-Helmholtz waves spotted above Virginia mountain resembling the Van Gogh painting Starry Night Amy Hunter witnessed the Kelvin-Helmholtz waves, which usually form on windy days because of specific atmospheric conditions, and often indicate turbulence The extremely rare phenomena occurs when two different layers of air in the atmosphere are moving at different speeds - which is known as shear When the upper layer of air is moving at a higher speed than the lower level air, it may scoop the top of an existing cloud layer into these wave-like rolling shapes The occurrence is named after two meteorologists, Lord Kelvin and Hermann von Helmholtz, who studied the physics behind this cloud formations The rolling clouds have long been a point of fascination for those lucky enough to witness them and are believed to have inspired Van Gogh's 'Starry Night'
By Rod Ardehali For Dailymail.com
Published: 17:08 BST, 19 June 2019 | Updated: 17:08 BST, 19 June 2019
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A Virginia woman captured a stunning cloud formation above Smith Mountain, resembling a famous surrealist painting by Vincent Van Gogh.
Amy Hunter witnessed the Kelvin-Helmholtz waves, which usually form on windy days because of specific atmospheric conditions - and resemble waves tumbling across the sky.
The extremely rare phenomena occurs when two different layers of air in the
