It was an especially hot day at Lake Balaton in Hungary, where I was on holidays with my family a few days ago, with the temperature nearing 40°C (104°F). The lake’s water, so smooth and pleasing at other times, was around 30°C (86°F), so it hardly offered any relief from the extreme heat either. What should we do then? Let’s go underground!
We were soon heading for Tapolca, a town on Balaton’s northern shore, which has the famous Lake Cave, a winding, 300-meter underground limestone cave system navigable by boat along a subterranean lake. That itself was an outstanding experience – and it was only 20°C (68°F) down there, for a change. Finally, some relief!
Little did we know that nature would present us with an even more outstanding experience that day. Or night, for that matter, because by the time we emerged from the cave, it was already early evening. As soon as we stepped out on the street, a breathtaking sight greeted us: some incredible mammatus clouds, their bulbous shapes resembling a field of puffy cotton balls. These rare formations, caused by sinking air within a thunderstorm, cast an ethereal glow in the twilight, creating a mesmerizing spectacle that left us speechless.
I’d seen/posted many photos of these amazing cloud formations in the past, and now, finally, I had a chance to photograph them myself! I couldn’t believe my eyes. Here are some more shots I took on that unforgettable night.
Interested to see some mammatus clouds filled with ash? Yes, such incredible clouds were seen during the 23 January 1976 eruption of Mt. St. Augustine in Alaska! They were an even rarer display of an already rare phenomenon, probably never caught on camera at any other time. See the photos here.
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