7-Kilometer Thick Cloud Hides the Sun, Turns Istanbul’s Day Into Night [Watch]

In the middle of the day, Istanbul turned into nighttime after a terrifying black cloud covered its sky. Many found the incident scary, with some speculating it was an apocalypse.

Dark Clouds Cover Istanbul

Turkish meteorological forum Hava Forum shared a video on Twitter. The clip features a city, and it is still daytime at the beginning. However, the clip seems to have been time-lapsed because it suddenly darkens, and everything turns black like it's nighttime.

In the caption, Hava Forum explained that a 7-kilometer-thick cloud passed over the city of Istanbul, turning the day into the night time. The sun reportedly disappeared for five minutes, and some were so horrified they thought it was an apocalypse.

When the dark cloud descended, heavy rain began to fall across the city. The incident mystified many.

One said, "the end is near." Meanwhile, another asked, "What the hell is it?"

Technology news site TechnoPixel suggested that the thick cloud could be cumulonimbus cloud, which may have been large and dark-colored. They are also known as thunderclouds, Newsweek reported.

What Are Cumulonimbus Clouds?

Cumulonimbus clouds are towering or plume-shaped multi-level clouds with a foreboding appearance - dark and low-hanging. Cumulonimbus clouds, also called thunderclouds, are the only clouds that can produce hail, thunder, and lightning and may lead to heavy rain showers.

The cloud's base is frequently flat, has a characteristic that resembles a very black wall hanging underneath, and may only be a few hundred feet over the Earth's surface, according to Met Office.

They are also thick and moisture-laden. They are extremely dark because the light can't penetrate the clouds, explaining the sudden darkness in the city as the sun is completely blocked.

Extreme weather events, including tornadoes, hailstorms, lightning, and torrential downpours, are all linked to cumulonimbus clouds. Once showers begin, individual cumulonimbus cells often dissolve within an hour, resulting in brief periods of heavy rain.

However, multicell or supercell storms have numerous cumulonimbus clouds, and a prolonged period of heavy rain is possible. A cumulonimbus rather than a nimbostratus cloud is present when there is thunder, lightning, or hail.

There are three different types of cumulonimbus clouds, each describing how the cloud head looks. They are as follows:

Cumulonimbus calvus: This type of cumulonimbus has a puffy, cumulus-cloud-like top. The water droplets on the cloud tower's top have not yet solidified into ice crystals.

Cumulonimbus capillatus: The fibrous but largely confined cloud top. Water droplets have begun to freeze, typically meaning rain has started or will start soon.

Cumulonimbus incus: As the cloud has continued to develop, its top has become fibrous and fashioned like an anvil. If a cloud continues to grow after reaching the top of the troposphere, it must expand outward, forming the charming anvil or "incus."

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