Stratocumulus castellanus cloud

Stratocumulus castellanus
Stratocumulus castellanus, with various turrets of very small size and one of a larger size
Abbreviation	Sc cas
Symbol
Genus	Stratocumulus
Species	Castellanus
Altitude	Above 2,000 m (Above 6,560 ft)
Appearance	small turrets
Precipitation	Virga, and sometimes light rain

Stratocumulus castellanus or Stratocumulus castellatus^[1] is a type of stratocumulus cloud. Castellanus is derived from Latin, meaning 'of a castle.' Clouds of this type appear as cumuliform turrets vertically rising from a common horizontal cloud base. These turrets are taller than they are wide.^[2]

The presence of stratocumulus castellanus clouds indicates an increasingly unstable atmosphere,^[3] and seeing this type of cloud in the morning usually means that there is a possibility of thunderstorms forming later in the afternoon.^[4] In the right conditions, these clouds can grow into cumulus congestus clouds and, sometimes, into cumulonimbus clouds.^[5]