Beijing Mushroom Cloud Sparks End-Of-The-World Fears (Video)

Beijing Mushroom Cloud (Photo: ChinaDaily)

A giant mushroom cloud formed over Beijing last week, sparking fears of an impending Armageddon-like event.

The Beijing mushroom cloud was spotted at around 7 p.m. on June 14 and looked like an atomic bomb explosion. It was accompanied by thunder and lightning.

After several hours of anxiety, residents calmed down gradually as the mysterious cloud started dispersing.

The cloud was said to be just a work of nature. It was identified as a giant cumulonimbus,  a thunderstorm cloud that forms from a towering cumulus and "resembles the head of a cauliflower."

Here's a Wikipedia entry of cumulonimbus cloud

"Cumulonimbus (Cb) is a towering vertical cloud (family D2) that is very tall, dense, and involved in thunderstorms and other inclement weather. Cumulonimbus originates from Latin: Cumulus "heap" and nimbus "cloud". It is a result of atmospheric instability. These clouds can form alone, in clusters, or along a cold front in a squall line. They can create lightning and other dangerous severe weather. Cumulonimbus clouds form from cumulus clouds (namely from cumulus congestus) and can further develop into a supercell, a severe thunderstorm with special features."

Meanwhile, check out below an amateur video footage of the Beijing mushroom cloud: