Baker rises early to capture stunning Peak District cloud inversion

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Cloud inversion above CastletonImage source, Wesley Kristopher
Image caption,

Wesley Kristopher went out with his camera after checking the weather forecast and a webcam

A dedicated photographer's early start to capture sunrise in the Peak District was rewarded with views of a stunning summer cloud inversion.

Wesley Kristopher, 35, who works as a baker, set off from his home in Sheffield at 02:30 BST on Tuesday to snap the weather phenomenon.

The Met Office said cloud inversions, also known as a temperature inversion, happened all year round but were most common in the winter.

Image source, Wesley Kristopher
Image caption,

The Met Office says an inversion happens when the temperature increases with height

Mr Kristopher took the images in Castleton, Derbyshire.

He said: "I'd stayed up overnight doing some editing and when I saw it was 02:30, I checked the weather app and it looked like really good inversion conditions.

"They have webcams, they've got one in Castleton. You could just make out a layer of mist, so I thought straight away 'I need to go'."

Image source, Wesley Kristopher
Image caption,

Mr Kristopher said the Hope Valley was one of the best places to see a cloud inversion

According to the Met Office, an inversion happens when the temperature increases with height.

"This often happens in areas of high pressure, where the air high up often sinks towards the ground," it said.

"As it falls, it dries out and warms up. This warm layer of air can act as a lid and trap cooler air near the surface."

Image source, Wesley Kristopher
Image caption,

Mr Kristopher said the Hope Cement Works was one of his favourite spots to photograph

Mr Kristopher said he mostly photographs wildlife now, but he "really enjoyed" capturing the landscape and said it was a "beautiful morning".

"If nothing ever happened or it hadn't been a good sunrise, I'd have been a bit disappointed but it was really good so it was worth it," he said.

Image source, Wesley Kristopher
Image caption,

Mr Kristopher said it was a "beautiful morning"

Mr Kristopher said a summer cloud inversion was not as common a sight, partly because of how early the sun rises.

He said he had been lucky to see a few.

"I've caught them at pretty much every month of the year now," he added.

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