Mature Stage
When the cumulus cloud becomes big, the water in it
becomes heavy. It starts to fall out of the cloud. At the same
time, cool dry air starts to enter the cloud. Cool air is heavier
than warm air. The cool air creates a wind that
blows
downward. This wind pushes the heavy water to the ground. It starts
to rain.
This cloud is now called a cumulonimbus cloud. Lightning and thunder start to
occur. The cumulonimbus is now a thunderstorm.
Shop Windows to the Universe Science Store!
Cool It! is the new card game from the Union of Concerned Scientists that teaches kids about the choices we have when it comes to climate change—and how policy and technology decisions made today will matter. Cool It! is available in our
online store.
You might also be interested in:
Wind is moving air. Warm air rises, and cool air comes in to take its place. This movement creates the winds around the globe. Winds move at different speeds and have different names based on their speed.
...more
Raindrops form when tiny water droplets collide together in clouds to form bigger ones. When they get too heavy, rain falls out of the clouds. Rain is more than 5mm in diameter. The types of clouds that
...more
Cumulonimbus clouds belong to the Clouds with Vertical Growth group. They are also known as thunderstorm clouds. A cumulonimbus cloud can grow up to 10km high. At this height, high winds make the top
...more
Lightning is the coolest thing about a thunderstorm. In fact, it is how thunderstorms got their name. Wait a minute, what does thunder have to do with lightning? Well, lightning causes thunder. Lightning
...more
There are two main types of thunderstorms: ordinary and severe. Ordinary thunderstorms are the common summer storm. Ordinary thunderstorms last about one hour. Rain and small hail occur. Severe thunderstorms
...more
A supercell thunderstorm is a huge rotating thunderstorm. It can last for several hours. These storms are likely to form long lasting tornadoes and large hail. There are two types of supercell thunderstorms.
...more
Lightning occurs during a thunderstorm. Most lightning takes place within a single cloud. Sometimes lightning moves from a cloud to the ground. Other times it jumps from one cloud to another or into the
...more
