It was visible from the runway at Gibraltar International Airport as flights arrived and departed in the afternoon. The Met Office in Gibraltar posted a timelapse video of the unique phenomena on Twitter, garnering over a million views in the early hours of Thursday. @easyJet London Gatwick flight departs @RAF_Gib this morning against the backdrop of some impressive #Levanter cloud over the Rock of #Gibraltar The #levanter cloud continues to improve today! #LevanterSpam pic.twitter.com/WYyOPktSij London Gatwick Met Office Gibraltar on Twitter: “London Gatwick @easyJet flight traveling in and out of @RAF_Gib this morning against the backdrop of some impressive #Levanter cloud over the Rock of #GibraltarThe #levanter cloud continues to improve today! # LevanterSpam pic.twitter.com/WYyOPktSij / Twitter” flight and take off Met Office Gibraltar on Twitter: “London Gatwick flight @easyJet traveling in and taking off from @RAF_Gib this morning against the backdrop of some impressive #Levanter cloud over the Rock of #GibraltarThe #levanter cloud continues to improve today! #LevanterSpam pic.twitter.com/WYyOPktSij / Twitter” this morning against some impressive Met Office Gibraltar on Twitter: “The London Gatwick @easyJet flight taxiing and taking off from @RAF_Gib this morning with some impressive #Levanter cloud over the rock of #Gibraltar #levanter cloud continues to improve today! #LevanterSpam pic.twitter.com/WYy OPk tSij / Twitter” cloud over the Rock of Met Office Gibraltar on Twitter: “The London Gatwick @easyJet flight taking off from @RAF_Gib this morning with some impressive #Levanter cloud in the background over the Rock of #GibraltarThe #levanter cloud it just keeps getting better today! #LevanterSpam pic.twitter.com/WYyOPktSij / Twitter” Met Office Gibraltar on Twitter: “London Gatwick flight @easyJet traveling in and out of @RAF_Gib this morning against the backdrop of some spectacular #Levanter cloud over the Rock of #Gibraltar The #levanter cloud continues to improve today! #LevanterSpam pic .twitter.com/WYyOPktSij / Twitter” the cloud keeps getting better today! Met Office Gibraltar on Twitter: “London Gatwick flight @easyJet traveling in and taking off from @RAF_Gib this morning against the backdrop of some spectacular #Levanter cloud over the Rock of #GibraltarThe #levanter cloud continues to improve today! #LevanterSpam pic. twitter.com/WYyOPktSij / Twitter” Met Office Gibraltar on Twitter: “The @easyJet London Gatwick flight is traveling in and taking off from @RAF_Gib this morning against the backdrop of some spectacular #Levanter cloud over the rock of #GibraltarThe #levanter cloud just keep getting better today! #LevanterSpam pic.twitter.com/WYyOPktSij / Twitter” — Met Office Gibraltar (@MetOGibraltar) Met Office Gibraltar on Twitter: “London Gatwick flight @easyJet travels in and takes off from @RAF_Gib this morning against the backdrop of some spectacular #Levanter cloud over the rock of #GibraltarThe #levanter cloud just keep getting better today! #LevanterSpam pic.twitter.com/WYyOPktSij / Twitter” The Mediterranean region is known for unique and often spectacular weather events like what happened. On Wednesday, an easterly wind, known as a “levante,” sent a plume of cloud streaming down the Rock in spectacular fashion. “These ‘banner clouds’ occur when moist, but not fully saturated, air interacts with a steep mountain top,” explains Michael Carter, a meteorologist at The Weather Network. “As the atmosphere flows over and around the top, an area of lower pressure forms on the downwind or ‘sleep’ side. This slightly lower pressure causes condensation, leading to the formation of a stream of clouds in an otherwise clear sky. “ SEE ALSO: James Webb Telescope Reveals Surprising New Aspects of Jupiter Gibraltar is a small British overseas territory, home to around 33,000 people. The narrow strip of land stretches between Spain and the mouth of the Mediterranean. Image thumbnail courtesy: Met Office Gibraltar
