10 Interesting Facts about Clouds

Clouds are made up of water droplets or ice crystals that have condensed from water vapour in the air.

This process occurs when warm air rises and cools, causing the water vapour to condense into tiny droplets or ice crystals that form clouds.

Clouds are not always white.

Depending on the time of day, the angle of the sun, and the presence of particles in the air, clouds can take on a variety of colours, including pink, orange, red, and even green

Clouds can move at incredible speeds, with some clouds traveling at speeds of up to 100 miles per hour or more.

This movement is driven by the wind and can have a significant impact on the weather in a particular area.

Clouds can form at many different altitudes, from near the ground to as high as 12 miles up in the atmosphere.

There are ten main types of clouds, classified based on their appearance and altitude. In approximate ascending order they are; Stratus, Nimbostratus, Stratocumulus, Cumulus, Altocumulus, Altostratus, Cumulonimbus, Cirrocumulus, Cirrostratus and Cirrus

Clouds can weigh a lot!

A typical cumulus cloud can weigh as much as 500,000 kilograms (1.1 million pounds).

Despite their weight, they float because the water droplets are spread out over a large area they remain suspended due to updrafts and air currents.

Fog is essentially a cloud at ground level.

It forms when the air near the ground cools enough to turn its water vapour into tiny droplets.

Contrails, the line-shaped clouds formed by airplanes, are made of ice crystals created when the hot, moist air from the engines mixes with the cold, dry air at high altitudes.

The study of clouds is called nephology.

It is a branch of meteorology that focuses on cloud formation, classification, and behaviour.

The average lifespan of a cloud varies depending on its type.

Cumulus clouds can last from minutes to hours, while stratus clouds can persist for days.