The most likely explanation is a psychological phenomenon called pareidolia. This term describes the tendency of the human brain to perceive familiar patterns especially faces and figures within random stimuli.
Consider the following examples.
People regularly observe faces within clouds.
People recognize shapes within rock formations.
People identify animals within constellations.
Human brains operate with a strong orientation toward pattern recognition. This capacity supported the survival of ancestors by identifying potential threats such as a shape in the bushes that might represent a predator. In the present day the same capacity leads people to perceive familiar religious figures in toast and statue-like forms in clouds.
The fit of this explanation arises from the way the cloud formation happens to resemble a shape that cultural exposure has prepared the mind to recognize. The shape carries the outline of a statue with outstretched arms.
Theory 2: A Rare Cloud Formation
Pareidolia accounts for the interpretation of the shape as a statue. The cloud formation itself remains a genuine atmospheric occurrence. Certain cloud types produce dramatic and unusual outlines.
