Reunion Island (21°S, 55°E) rises as a cluster of volcanic peaks out of the vast Indian Ocean some 450 miles east of Madagascar. But its isolation does not mean a weather watcher would have little to do there. Often battered by tropical cyclones, Reunion's gauges have tallied the 12- and 24-hour world rainfall records (45.00 inches and 71.80 inches, respectively). And does the sunset image above suggest something perhaps a tad sinister approaching as well? Looking southeast, photographer Marie Emma noted the feathery cirrus clouds all seemed to be pointing toward a common point beyond the horizon. A portent of some upcoming doom? Nope. This is just a classic example of the railroad track illusion (long parallel lines appear to converge toward a common point on the horizon). The clouds are a lovely example of cirrus radiatus. And if not convinced that this is an illusion, the insert satellite image shows the cirrus bands are indeed quite parallel.
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