Cumulonimbus incus

Cumulonimbus Incus
Cumulonimbus Incus
Abbreviation	Cb inc.
Genus	Cumulonimbus (heap, cloud/severe rain)
Species	Capillatus (fibrous)
Appearance	Large flat-top cloud
Precipitation cloud?	Yes, often intense

A cumulonimbus incus (Latin incus, "anvil") also known as an anvil cloud is a cumulonimbus cloud which has reached the level of stratospheric stability and has formed the characteristic flat, anvil-top shape. It signifies the thunderstorm in its mature stage, succeeding the cumulonimbus calvus stage. Cumulonimbus incus is a sub-form of Cumulonimbus capillatus.

Hazards

A cumulonimbus incus is a mature thunderstorm cloud generating many dangerous elements.

Lightning; this storm cloud is capable of producing bursts of cloud to ground lightning.
Hail; hailstones may fall from this cloud if it's a highly unstable environment (which favors a more vigorous storm updraft).
Heavy rain; this cloud may drop several inches of rain in a short amount of time. This can cause flash flooding
Strong wind; gale-force winds from a downburst may occur under this cloud.
Tornadoes; in severe cases (most commonly with supercells), it can produce tornadoes.

Classification

Cumulonimbus clouds can be powerful. If the correct atmospheric conditions are met, they can grow into a supercell storm. This cloud may be a single-cell thunderstorm or one cell in a multicellular thunderstorm. They are capable of producing severe storm conditions for a short amount of time.

Cloud genera and selected species, supplementary features, and other airborne hydrometeors - WMO Latin terminology except where indicated
Extreme-level	Polar mesospheric cirriform type Noctilucent
Very high-level	Polar stratospheric cirriform type Nacreous
High-level	Tropospheric cirriform, stratiform, and stratocumuliform genera Cirrus (Ci) Cirrostratus (Cs) Cirrocumulus (Cc) General type (non-WMO terminology) Aviaticus cloud (Contrail)
Medium-level	Tropospheric stratiform and stratocumuliform genera Altostratus (As) Altocumulus (Ac) Stratocumuliform species Altocumulus castellanus (Ac cas)
Low-level	Tropospheric stratiform, stratocumuliform and cumuliform genera Stratus (St) Stratocumulus (Sc) Cumulus (Cu) Stratiform and cumuliform species Fractus Cumulus humilis (Cu hum) Stratocumulus variants (non-WMO terminology) Actinoform cloud Asperitas
Moderate vertical	Tropospheric stratiform and cumuliform genera Nimbostratus (Ns) Cumulus (Cu) Cumuliform species Cumulus mediocris (Cu med) Cumuliform supplementary features Cumulus Pileus Cumulus Volutus
Towering vertical	Tropospheric cumulonimbiform genus Cumulonimbus (Cb) Cumuliform species Cumulus congestus (ICAO term Towering cumulus [Tcu]) Cumuliform and cumulonimbiform supplementary features mamma Tuba (Funnel cloud) Pileus Arcus (Shelf) Cumuliform and cumulonimbiform variants (non-WMO terminology) Wall cloud Cumulonimbuus Overshooting top Hot tower
Surface based	General type Fog
Non-height specific	General types Accessory cloud Kelvin–Helmholtz cloud
Special	Special modifiers Flammagenitus (cloud) Homogenitus (cloud)

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