The Met Office has tweeted a photograph of a cloud apparently putting a hand up as if to say hello. It was in fact an amusing shape of altocumulus cloud, caught on camera by members of the Manchester Astronomical Society — see bit.ly/2msuGOD.
On January 20 another hand in the clouds was seen above the state of Michoacan in central Mexico. Some said it was a divine sign, others that it was something like a UFO — see bit.ly/2nGpCX8.
The Cloud Appreciation Society photo gallery also features a heart-shaped cloud and a number of other evocative photos — see bit.ly/2mOHUjP.
Although pareidolia is not a familiar word, everyone has experienced it — seeing recognisable objects or patterns in otherwise random or unrelated objects,
