Cumulus castellanus (from Latin '' castellanus'', castle) is an unofficial name of a species of

cumulus cloud Cumulus clouds are clouds that have flat cloud base, bases and are often described as puffy, cotton-like, or fluffy in appearance. Their name derives from the Latin , meaning "heap" or "pile". Cumulus clouds are low-level clouds, generally less ...

that is distinctive because it displays multiple towers arising from its top, indicating significant vertical air movement. It is a misnomer for cumulus congestus and correspondingly can be an indicator of forthcoming showers and thunderstorms. The

World Meteorological Organization The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations responsible for promoting international cooperation on atmospheric science, climatology, hydrology an ...

and the

American Meteorological Society The American Meteorological Society (AMS) is a scientific and professional organization in the United States promoting and disseminating information about the atmospheric, oceanic, and hydrologic sciences. Its mission is to advance the atmosph ...

do not recognize cumulus castellanus as a distinct species, but instead classify all towering cumulus clouds as

Cumulus congestus Cumulus congestus or towering cumulus clouds are a species of cumulus that can be based in the low- to middle-height ranges. They achieve considerable vertical development in areas of deep, moist convection. They are an intermediate stage between ...

.''International Cloud Atlas''

References

Cumulus Gliding technology {{Cloud-stub