What Causes Clouds And Rain

key notes :

Water Cycle

• Evaporation: The sun heats up water from oceans, lakes, and rivers, turning it into water vapor (gas) that rises into the air.
• Condensation: As the water vapor rises, it cools down and changes back into tiny water droplets, forming clouds.
• Precipitation: When the droplets in clouds get too heavy, they fall back to the Earth as rain, snow, or hail.

Cloud Formation

• Clouds are made up of tiny water droplets or ice crystals that are so small they float in the air.
• These droplets come together to form different types of clouds, such as cumulus (fluffy clouds) and stratus (layered clouds).

Types of Clouds

• Cumulus Clouds: These are big, puffy clouds that usually bring fair weather.
• Stratus Clouds: These are low, gray clouds that cover the sky and often bring rain.
• Nimbostratus Clouds: Thick clouds that bring steady, heavy rain or snow.
• Cumulonimbus Clouds: Tall, towering clouds that bring thunderstorms.

Why Does It Rain?

• Rain happens when the air in the clouds can’t hold the water droplets anymore, so they fall to the ground as precipitation.
• Cold Fronts: When a cold air mass meets a warm air mass, the warm air rises, causing condensation and rain.
• Warm Fronts: When warm air rises over cooler air, it can also cause rain.

Important Factors

• Temperature: The temperature of the air affects how much moisture it can hold.
• Air Pressure: High and low pressure areas can affect cloud formation and weather patterns.
• Humidity: When the air is very humid, clouds form more easily and may lead to rain.

Let’s practice!