Today in Leeds..

I saw this mentioned at the end of the 6 o'clock news and wondered if nacreous clouds were responsible for the weird pink/purple glow in the sky after sunset. It was reflecting in the eastern sky at first but shrank back to the west as it got darker. It was apparently associated with what looked like a layer of cirrus or cirrostratus on the western horizon. I've not seen 'normal' clouds do that to the sky before though.

Thoughts anyone? I'm in north Hampshire.

Very faint here this evening, mainly because I had the camera  Hoping for a more vivid display in the early morning, as it was quite impressive this morning 

I managed to catch this on my way home from Dartford Station this evening. Granted it's not as good as some of the other pictures posted but I guess this is the best we get this far south!

Yes that looks just like the sky did here just after sunset so it must have been nacreous clouds responsible.

No, that's mid level stuff. If you see them you'd now, believe me - they are at 80,000 feet. Some fantastic displays up here last few sunrise/sunsets.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-3428242/Devastatingly-beautiful-Rare-rainbow-clouds-seen-painting-skies-UK-despite-splendour-formations-cause-holes-ozone-layer.html

I may be wrong but aren't nacreous clouds only visible once the sun is below the horizon? This looks like iridescence in ordinary cirrus to me - albeit quite a spectacular example!

In my mind it's 'Look, pretty colours!' and that's about it I'm afraid.

No, I think you are confusing with noctilucent clouds which are similar though without the colours, and often visible in the summer long after sunset in the north, think they are lower than these. These are certainly nacreous with that brightness and colour. I watched a high altitude plane leaving a vapour trail today over Scotland which was clearly forming in front of these clouds. Assuming the plane was at about 35,000ft gave an idea of just how high they are.

The DM article on nacreous clouds says they are about 70,000 feet (I have seen other sources say 50-80,000ft) which is higher than cirrus clouds (30,000 feet ish) but lower than noctilucent clouds (which are around 50 miles, or 250,000ft!)

So yes those probably are nacreous, although I have also seen some photos of iridescent cirrus clouds in the past few days.

I have to admit that I am a little intrigued by this comment in that blog post:

"This eye-catching cloud is rarely seen, and has only been sighted in polar regions (such as Scotland and Norway) in the winter months"

Since when did Scotland's location become regarded as being in a 'polar region'? 

From what I have read, the cloud formation needs stratospheric temperatures to be -80C or colder. This has certainly been the case in recent days with the stratospheric vortex cold core pushed way south east of its usual position.

Chart from Icelandic weather services show the displacement at 30mb, with very cold air over the UK.

When might the conditions be right see them again? I missed the ones recently.