Which cloud type is said to develop into a thunderstorm later in the day?

Which cloud type is said to develop into a thunderstorm later in the day?

• A. Altocumulus
• B. Cirrus
• C. Cumulus
• D. Stratus

Answer: (A)

Thunderstorms later in the day are often signaled by mid‑level cloud development as surface heating destabilizes the atmosphere. Altocumulus show there’s buoyant air and moisture in the middle levels, and with continued heating these air parcels can climb higher and organize into cumulonimbus clouds, producing a thunderstorm later on. Cirrus are too high and wispy to indicate convective storms, stratus is a low, flat layer that tends to suppress convection, and while cumulus can grow into storms, the mid‑level altocumulus setting is the clearer indicator that afternoon thunderstorm activity is likely to develop.

Thunderstorms later in the day are often signaled by mid‑level cloud development as surface heating destabilizes the atmosphere. Altocumulus show there’s buoyant air and moisture in the middle levels, and with continued heating these air parcels can climb higher and organize into cumulonimbus clouds, producing a thunderstorm later on. Cirrus are too high and wispy to indicate convective storms, stratus is a low, flat layer that tends to suppress convection, and while cumulus can grow into storms, the mid‑level altocumulus setting is the clearer indicator that afternoon thunderstorm activity is likely to develop.