[tk421]

Hi there,
I recently read somewhere, that the top of a thunder cloud can actually have it's fiberous top blown away from the main body of the cloud. The artical also said that the spissatus, even though removed from the main body of the cloud can still produce lightning. Has anyone actually observed this ?

[Paul Domaille]

I have never seen lightning from this type of cloud, unless it is in the immediate vicinity of a Cb, once removed from that area, or indeed not formed from the blow off of a Cb the mechanics to produce lightning are not present.
Cheers,
Paul D

[StephenS]

I think it's more likely that it can appear to produce lightning, especially as C to C flashes illuminate both the Cb and the sheared anvil top.

I did however find this reference:

Lace lightning is occasionally seen moving acrossthe sky through a heavy cirrus spissatus cloud layer well downstream of larger thunderstorms.
It appears tomove across the sky in pulses forming a fine weblike orlacelike network through the cirrus cloud.

See: http://meteorologytr...ss/14269_48.htm