Cylindrical clouds, also known as roll clouds, are long, tube-like formations that are rare worldwide.
These clouds are created by wind shear across a horizontal boundary, which causes uplift in a shallow vertical slab of air.
Unlike other horizontal clouds like shelf clouds, roll clouds are detached from other cloud structures.
Notably, these cylindrical clouds form high up in the atmosphere and can stretch across extensive areas.
Over Sydney, residents witnessed a rare sight of cylindrical clouds stretching for about 300 kilometers.
These clouds were observed on a specific day, forming around 11:30 am and dissipating by approximately 3:00 pm.
The clouds extended from the Southern Highlands to Nelsons Bay in the north and even further, as seen on satellite images.
The unusual phenomenon prompted both surprise and curiosity among the residents, leading to numerous social media posts and pictures.
The appearance of these clouds coincided with scorching heat, offering a visual spectacle and a hope for some relief from the temperature.
Clouds are essentially visible collections of water droplets or ice crystals in the Earth's atmosphere, often seen in white due to the reflection of sunlight.