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Nimbostratus (Ns) – develops from thickening altostratus opacus which is defined as nimbostratus when rain begins to fall (nimbus meaning ‘rain cloud’). Although classed as a medium level cloud, it can occur at a range of altitudes from a few hundred feet to 9,000ft, lasting for hours and bringing continuous sheets of rain, sleet or snow, and often accompanied by underlying stratus fractus or pannus. |