What causes rain?

Rain is caused by the water cycle, which is a process that moves water around the Earth.

The water cycle starts with the sun heating up the water on Earth's surface. This causes the water to evaporate, or turn into water vapor.

The water vapor rises into the air, where it cools and condenses, or turns back into water droplets. These water droplets form clouds.

When the water droplets in a cloud get too heavy, they fall to Earth as rain. The amount of rain that falls depends on how much water vapor is in the air, and how cold the air is. If the air is cold, the water droplets in the cloud will freeze and fall as snow or sleet.

Imagine that you have a glass of water. If you put the glass in the sun, the water will start to evaporate. The water vapor will rise into the air, just like the water vapor from Earth's surface. If you put a cold plate on top of the glass, the water vapor will condense on the plate and form water droplets. These water droplets are like the clouds that form in the sky.

Here are some facts about rain:

• Rain is important for plants and animals. Plants need rain to grow, and animals need water to drink.
• Rain helps to clean the air and water. It washes away pollutants and dirt.
• Rain can also be dangerous. If it rains too hard, it can cause flooding and landslides.

What causes snow?

Snow is caused by the same process that causes rain, but with colder temperatures. When the air is very cold, the water droplets in the clouds freeze into ice crystals instead of falling as rain. These ice crystals come together to form snowflakes, which are like tiny frozen stars. When there are a lot of snowflakes falling from the clouds, it creates a beautiful snowy blanket on the ground. For example, imagine taking a bottle of cold water out of the fridge and seeing tiny ice crystals start to form on the outside.

What causes thunderstorms?

Thunderstorms are caused by big, fluffy clouds called cumulonimbus clouds. These clouds are like big towers in the sky, made up of ice crystals and water droplets. Some of these clouds can reach way up high into the atmosphere. When warm and cold air meet inside these clouds, it creates a lot of energy. This energy makes lightning shoot out from the clouds, which is followed by a big booming sound called thunder. It's like the clouds are having a big party up in the sky! Just like when you rub a balloon on your head and it makes a crackling sound before sticking to the wall.