Banner Cloud floating above Mount Everest

What is banner cloud?

Mount Everest is so amazing with the mount peak hiding in the cloud and its dazing ice world attracts tourists from all over the world. However, what tourists most interested in are the floating cloud above Mount Everest.

The cloud is floating like waving banners, hence got the name, banner cloud.

When the weather is clear and sunny, there are often floating banner clouds over Mount Everest. These banner clouds are convective cumulus clouds. The shapes of the banner clouds are varied, sometimes like the surging waves, and sometimes like the galloping horses. Occasionally, you can see the highland eagle flying above the banner cloud which embellishes the infinite scenery of the perilous peak.
 

Forming of banner cloud

The banner cloud is formed because of the special landform of Mount Everest. Scientists found that on Mount Everest, at the plateau below the altitude of 7000m, there are covered with ice and snow, while above 7000m, there are rubbles. Then the sun came out, the rubbles surface become hot quickly, the warm air goes upwards along the slop, and condense to be cloud when the warm air near the summit. When the cloud floating above the peak, strong west wind blows it to point to East and forms the Banner cloud waving on the summit.
 

Indicative function of the banner cloud

The banner cloud could be a wind vane and infer the wind force level on the summit of Mount Everest.

According to its height and location, one can infer the wind force on the summit of Mount Everest. When the banner cloud floating high and upwards over the peak, it means the wind force is slow; when the cloud floating low and down dip, it means the wind force is strong; when the banner cloud floating parallel to the sea level, the wind force is about at ninth level. Hence, the Mount Everest banner cloud is reputed as “the highest wind indicator in the world”.
 

It can also infer the weather on Mount Everest. When the west wind blows on the mountain, the cloud will point east. When the banner cloud points to north, it means that it is going to snow heavily. If the banner cloud rolls up like smoke from kitchen chimneys, it also indicates the weather will become worse.

In Tibet, the banner cloud is a symbol of luck. It is said that for Tibetans, the banner cloud is just like the Buddha’s light or mirage, which indicates good luck and fortune. The most famous is the Mount Everest Banner Cloud with powerful momentum.