Hi and 1 question

[fruitloop1]

Heyy guys, I am in the 6th form and planning to do aeronautical engineering next year in uni and I wanted to ask a question.
Recently I flew home from turkey and just after take of the pilot announced that on the way down to turkey [from london, england] they had come across some large storm clouds and experienced some turbulence and the clouds might still be over the alps on our return flight, when flying over the alps I could not see any clouds in the slightest but we did experience clear air turbulence [CAT]which was very heavy and violent indeed [luggage falling from overhead], Could the storm clouds we expected to hit be related to the CAT??? :bored:
answers would be appreciated

[Nubboy]

Without wishing to be at all patronising, honestly:ok::ok:, the clue lies in the name.

Clouds and thunderstorms tend to be associated with convective currents. That is air currents generated by a vertical difference in temperature. This could be strong solar heating over relatively flat countries (eg northern France, UK etc, or air masses being pushed up over mountains (eg the Alps), with heating effects adding to the energy input) or warm air masses being pushed up over cold air. Not to be messed with, any of them, but normally easily visible, either with the naked eye for isolated cells in daylight, or with weather radar for night or embedded cells.

Clear air turbulence, CAT, as the name implies, is normally invisible and NOT detected by weather radar. However if does tend to be by associated with strong jet streams, and normally when crossing through, or into or out of, a jet stream core. Quite often it is forecast, and our SIG(nificant) Weather charts show the forecasters best guess as to where it may lie. However we are often told it could be anywhere, hence standard advice to keep seat belts fastened if you don't need to move about the cabin.

Sorry for such a short and incomplete answer, but it does take up quite a chunk of met theory for any level of pilot's licence.
Hope this helps.