Perfectly spherical cloud looks like it was lifted straight out of a manga panel.

Photographs of an incredible looking globe cloud posted on social media this week were apparently taken in Fujisawa, which is located in Kanagawa Prefecture, which lies over Tokyo’s southern border.

You can see the photograph here:

https://twitter.com/pmxpvrtmx/status/805938180092411905

The cloud is so otherworldly looking that many people are questioning the authenticity of the photograph. However, the woman who took the picture says she shot it from her car and did not edit the image at all:

“When I looked out of the car window I saw a round ball-shaped cloud. I gazed at the cloud for a while then I rushed to take the photo. When I saw the cloud it was an even more spherical shape, so I regret not taking the photo more quickly.”

People online have been carrying out their own investigations as to what would cause such a phenomenon. One person who gathered information from a climate expert says the cloud is called a “roll cloud,” saying “This cloud forms under wind created from a ‘mountain wave’ (or airstreams going over mountains) on a windy day”.

Apparently, “Roll clouds are formed by outflows of cold air from sea breezes or cold fronts”, according to Wikipedia.

Here are some more examples of “roll clouds”:

▼ Taken in Fukushima Prefecture.

https://twitter.com/hyr_lavieenrose/status/806167641467387904

▼ Another photo of a “roll cloud” taken somewhere in Japan

▼ Yet another photograph taken in Uruguay

800px-roll-cloud

▼ Here is a gif of a similar weather event called a “shelf cloud”
shelf_clouds_gif

With phone cameras becoming more and more common, we may be seeing a whole lot more of these incredible weather phenomena in the future. If you are one who is keen on all things weather then you may want to visit this cafe in Hokkaido where you can view amazing cloud patterns from the “Sea of Clouds” terrace.

So have you seen any “roll clouds” like these before? Have you taken a photograph like this but not posted it online?

Source: Twitter/@pmxprvtmx, Wikipedia
Featured image: Twitter/@pmxprvtmx
Insert image: Wikipedia/Daniela Mirner Eberl, Wikipedia/Karthik Easvur