Home
Weather Dublin
WeatherRadar
RainfallRadar
TemperatureRadar
WindRadar
LightningRadar
Weather News
Editor's Pick
Discover the app
Weather widget
Contact us
Apps
    Home / Editor's Pick /

    Over England and Wales: Lee waves on the WeatherRadar

10:30
10 December 2024

Over England and Wales
Lee waves on the WeatherRadar

Waves formed on the WeatherRadar yesterday, not in the ocean but in the sky over the Pennines and Cambrian mountains.

Monday afternoon, as cloud cover stretched across much of the UK, cool, moist air in the north-easterly flow was also forced to ascent the mountain barriers of the Pennines and Snowdonia.

This causes so-called gravity waves to develop, an oscillating up and down motion of the flow as the airstream interacts with the terrain. The cloud lines are at right angles to the wind direction and appear upon hitting mountainous, or hilly, areas.

Mountain waves are a type of lee wave, otherwise known as standing, stationary waves.

Air ascending up a mountain range happens all the time if the wind direction is right. What is crucial during a lee wave event is an inversion, a stable layer of air that acts as a "lid" above the cool, moist air mass below.

Every time the air rises, it cools and forms a cloud that sits at each crest of the wave. When this airflow hits the inversion it subsides and dries again.

On the WeatherRadar, you can see all the ripples flowing over the mountains, continuing southwest.

Have you seen any near you? If so, send us a picture, we would love to see them. Upload yours here!

Get involved! Using the uploader
Ryan Hathaway
More on the topic
The map shows current water temperatures in Europe and the Mediterranean. The water is particularly warm off the coast of Spain and North Africa, and cooler in the North Sea and the Baltic Sea.
Wednesday 20 May 2026

Ideal for half-term

Warming waters in holiday spots
Weather map of Europe showing a high-pressure system over Central Europe, low-pressure systems over the Atlantic and Turkey, numerous sun symbols, and temperatures ranging from 4 to over 40 degrees.
Thursday 21 May 2026

Omega block

The weather in Europe is changing
Temperature Radar forecast for Friday in Europe. Very high temperatures across Spain and Eastern Europe, slightly cooler in the north and west.
Tuesday 19 May 2026

Over 30 degrees in places

Early summer gets underway in Europe
All weather news
This might also interest you
UK temperature map dated 14.02 showing widespread subzero values in blue shading, with readings such as −4 in Glasgow, −3 in Dublin, and −2 in London, alongside a blue thermometer icon.
Friday 13 February 2026

Icy conditions

A frozen start to the weekend
Split UK map showing warm temperatures up to 21 degrees in orange on the left and clear sunny conditions with temperatures from 12 to 18 degrees on the right, with sun icons across the country.
Thursday 23 April 2026

Spring-like outlook

Bright and warm conditions take hold
Split image showing aerial flooding in a town with muddy water covering roads on the left, and a rural road on the right blocked by heavy snowfall with vans stopped and a person walking in snow.
Tuesday 27 January 2026

Storm Chandra

Flooding, gales, and heavy snow
All articles
Weather & Radar

Weather & Radar is also available on

Google Play StoreApp Store

Company

Contact us Privacy Policy Legal info Accessibility statement

Services

Uploader

Socials

facebooktwitteryouTubelinkList