Auckland City has had a stunning sunset this evening. Social media sites have been busy with people sharing photos and talking about how incredible it was – as has WeatherWatch.co.nz.

The pattern of the clouds is similar to the patterns you see in sand underwater at a calm beach – small bumps with grooves on the side. In this case the groves were clear patches of sky.

It can be caused when a current of air passes over a calm pool of air – disturbing the clouds and causing them to very gently fan out to create this unique pattern, Most likely the Waitakere ranges gave the air just the right bump it needed to gently disrupt the clouds.

Auckland has had a very calm day with little to no wind and a high of 25 degrees.

View the photos here in our Cloud gallery:

You can link to our site here: http://www.weatherwatch.co.nz/image-galleries/clouds