Question 1

What are clouds made of?

Accepted Answer

Clouds are made of tiny water droplets or ice crystals. They float in the sky because they are so light.

Question 2

Why are clouds white?

Accepted Answer

Clouds look white because they reflect sunlight. This light bounces off all the tiny droplets and makes the clouds look bright.

Question 3

Why do clouds sometimes look gray?

Accepted Answer

Clouds appear gray when they are thick and block out more sunlight. Less light comes through, making them look darker from the ground.

Question 4

What makes rain clouds different?

Accepted Answer

Rain clouds, or storm clouds, are thicker and heavier with water droplets. When the droplets get too heavy, they fall as rain.

Question 5

How do rainbows form?

Accepted Answer

Rainbows happen when sunlight shines through raindrops. The light bends and splits into different colors, making a rainbow arc in the sky.

Question 6

What is wind and why does it happen?

Accepted Answer

Wind is just moving air. It happens when air moves from areas of high pressure to areas of low pressure.

Question 7

Why does it get windy before a storm?

Accepted Answer

Before a storm, the air pressure changes. This makes the air move quickly, causing the wind to pick up.

Question 8

How is snow formed?

Accepted Answer

Snow forms when water vapor in the clouds freezes into ice crystals. These crystals stick together and fall as snowflakes.

Question 9

What are thunderstorms?

Accepted Answer

Thunderstorms are storms with lightning and thunder. They usually form from big, tall clouds called cumulonimbus.

Question 10

What’s the difference between weather and climate?

Accepted Answer

Weather is what happens in the sky today, like rain or sunshine. Climate is what the weather is like over a long time, say, years.

Question 11

How do we know when it's going to rain?

Accepted Answer

We can predict rain by looking at clouds and using weather tools. Dark, heavy clouds often mean rain is coming.

Question 12

Why do some clouds look like cotton candy?

Accepted Answer

Some clouds, like cumulus clouds, look fluffy and white, just like cotton candy. They are made of lots of tiny water droplets that make them puff up.

Question 13

How can clouds float when they're full of water?

Accepted Answer

Clouds can float because the water droplets in them are very tiny and light. They're spread out, so the wind can easily lift them.

Question 14

What is a tornado?

Accepted Answer

A tornado is a spinning column of air that reaches from a cloud to the ground. It can be very strong and move fast.

Question 15

Why does the sky turn red at sunset?

Accepted Answer

At sunset, the sunlight travels through more air and dust. This makes the light scatter, and mostly red colors are left to see.

Question 16

What causes lightning?

Accepted Answer

Lightning is like an electric shock in the sky. It happens when lots of energy builds up in the clouds and suddenly releases.

Question 17

Are all clouds the same?

Accepted Answer

No, there are many types of clouds. Some are fluffy, and some are flat, and they all form in different weather conditions.

Question 18

How do hailstones form?

Accepted Answer

Hailstones form when raindrops freeze in strong thunderstorm clouds. They get tossed around in the cloud and grow bigger before they fall.

Question 19

What is fog and why does it happen?

Accepted Answer

Fog is like a cloud on the ground. It forms when warm, moist air cools and tiny droplets of water appear, making the air look misty.

Question 20

What is a rainbow’s shape always a curve?

Accepted Answer

A rainbow forms a circle, but we usually see just half of it. The curve happens because the light bends in the same way through each raindrop.

The A-Z of Clouds and Weather Patterns - 20 FAQs Explained Simply