Mammatus clouds in Iraq in April 2006.Appearance The cloud appears to have smooth, round puffs hanging from its underside.
Mammatus clouds in Tulsa, Oklahoma, 1973
Mammatus clouds photographed from an aircraft over central New South Wales, Australia, 2008. Widespread storm activity in the area, but only light turbulence encountered.
Mammatus, also known as mammatocumulus (meaning "mammary cloud" or "breast cloud"), is a meteorological term applied to a cellular pattern of pouches hanging underneath the base of a cloud. The name mammatus is derived from the Latin mamma (meaning "udder" or "breast"), as some consider there is a resemblance between the characteristic shape of these clouds and the breast of a woman.