Beachgoers in Sydney had a field day on Nov. 6 as a magnificent shelf cloud slowly rolling over Bondi Beach provided a visual treat. Within a few minutes, the scene was turned into the surreal tapestry of a sky-wave. The cloud eventually delivered generous rainfall to the city.

Hannah Murphy, a local, told CNN, “Walking towards the beach it looked to me like a huge wave coming from the back of the ocean about to swamp us all! People were running from the streets to capture the unbelievable cloud formation.”

The Australian Bureau of Meteorology had issued warning of a severe thunderstorm by mid-afternoon, urging residents to keep indoors and distance themselves from windows, avoid using phones and unplug appliances. The bureau said the conditions had eased by late afternoon but conveyed the possibility of more thunderstorms.

“It was a beautiful morning, and suddenly the ocean turned a very light aqua blue, which contrasted the sky that began turning black,” said Nicole Keijzer, another beachgoer. “People started running down to the cliff edge to take photos... All of a sudden it felt very muggy, and the wind turned warm. I saw the rain in the distance and everyone along with me ran out of the beach before getting pelted on,” she told CNN.

A shelf cloud is a low-hanging, wedge-shaped and horizontal cloud formation, commonly linked to the gust front of a thunderstorm. Occasionally, they may be associated with a cold front, as well as exist independently of a thunderstorm, according to AccuWeather. The leading part often shows a rising cloud motion, with the underside often appearing wind-torn and turbulent. They are attached to the front of the lines of storms or sometimes a single storm. They often resemble big waves, snowploughs or tsunamis and appear quite scary as they are usually low-hanging.

Natural cloud formations are objects of wonder that leave onlookers in awe of the spectacular beauty of nature. Sometimes surprising, other times scary – like the “floating city” of China that emerged from the clouds – they are a source of amazement for all.

Source: YouTube.com/The Best Videos HD

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