Clouds are made up of millions of tiny water droplets. Clouds are made when quite warm, moist air rises into the sky where it cools down and condenses. Clouds can form in a few minutes or over a number of hours. There are many different types of cloud and looking at them can help you to predict the weather.
Cloud can be measured through a number of observations. Consider whether the cloud is:
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HIGH
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(5,500-14,000 meters)
Includes: Cirrus, cirrocumulus, and cirrostratus |
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MEDIUM
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(2,000-7,000 meters)
Includes: Altocumulus, altostratus, and nimbostratus |
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LOW
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(below 2,000 meters)
Includes: Stratocumulus, Stratus, Cumulus, and Cumulonimbus |
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Altitude
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Name
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Colour
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Description
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Weather
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HIGH
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White
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Thin silky and feathery
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Fair
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White
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Ripples/bumps
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Fair
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Whitish
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Fat, smooth transparent sheet
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Worsening
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MEDIUM
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White/grey
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Layers and waves often separated by blue sky
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Fair
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Greyish
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Thin sheets/layers
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Rain on way
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Dark grey
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Thick sheets
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Continuous rain/snow
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LOW
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Grey/white
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Layers in rounded rolls. No breaks.
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Dry/dull
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Grey
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Thin sheet blanketing sky
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Drizzle
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Grey/white
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Puffy clouds
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Good
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Grey/white
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Very tall puffy clouds
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Storms. Heavy rain/hail/snow
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