Amafethaza

Amafethaza awuhlobo lwamafu angaphakeme akhiwa ngamaconsi amanzi, imincwebe yeqhwa, noma umvubo wakho kokubili. Amafethaza akheka lapho inqwaba yomoya ofudumele, oswakeme ukhuphuka, okwenza umhwamuko wamanzi ujiye. Amafethaza ngokuvamile abukeka njengezinkethe ezingenalwangu ezimpunga noma ezilundwa, nakuba eminye imixhantela yawo inezisekelo ezinjengamagagasi noma ezibhonqiwe. Ilanga lingavela kumafethaza azacile, kodwa ubuhalalazi obuwugqinsi bungase bungabonakali .

Amafethaza ngokuvamile abikezela ukufika komsinga ofudumele . Lapho amafethaza ayamaniswa nomsinga ofudumele efika, ngokuvamile imvula eqhubekayo (umkhizo) noma iqhwa kuzolandela emahoreni ayishumi nambili (12) kuya kwangamashumi amabili name (24) alandelayo. Nakuba amafethaza ebikezela ukufika kwesimo sezulu esifudumele, esinemvula, wona awakhiqizi ukuna okukhulu. Ukuduma kwezulu kungahlayizwa kumafethaza, kodwana, kuletha izihlambi nje.

Ngenxa yokuthi amafethaza angaqukatha imincwebe yeqhwa, ayakwazi ukukhiqiza ezinye izimongotho ezifana nemilobolobo  novivi .

 Ingcaziso 
upright=1.3|thumb|right|alt=The sun shines diumly through a largely-featureless gray altostratus cloud.|ukukhanya kwelanga okufiphazwa umxhantela wamafethaza translucidus
Amafethaza ngokuvamile anombala olundwana nommomo ofana nowengubo. Lawa mafu awanalo ulwangu oluwuhluko, futhi awakukhiqizi ukuna kwemvula. Ibizo elithi "amafethaza" kungenzeka liwukuhlanhanoswa kwamgama amabili, "amafu" + "ukufafaza" , njengoba avame ukuletha lolohlobo lwemvula. Amafethaza ayakwazi ukukhiqiza amafena, okubangela iziseko zamafu zibonakale zilufifi. Nakuba engakhiqizi inani elikhulu lokuna, amafethaza angabanga ukufafaza kwemvula noma zihlambi ezincane. Ukuna kwemvula okungapheli kanye nokwehla kwesiseko sefu yisisusa sokuthi amafethaza aphenduke amafemvula.

Amaphatho