Warm air rises due to convection, cooling and condensing into water droplets that form clouds. Moist air forced to rise over hills and mountains also cools and condenses, forming relief rainfall. Frontal rainfall occurs when warm and cold air masses meet, with the warm air forced over cold air cooling and condensing. The main types of clouds are cirrus (high altitude wispy clouds), stratus (middle/low layered clouds), and cumulus (puffy clouds often leading to rain).

1. Why does it rain? (think back to work on the water cycle.)

2. Write a brief description of how it rains, use the words to
help you (but they’re not in order!!)
Condenses
cools
vapour
clouds
precipitation
Rises
heats

3. There are 3 ways rain or precipitation is produced…

4. Convectional Rain

5. Convectional
rainfall
This form of rain is common
in the east of England during
the summer.
1. The sun heats the ground and warm air rises.
2. As the air rises it cools and water vapour condenses to
form water droplets.
3. Water droplets join together to form clouds.
4. Heavy rain storms occur.

6. Relief rain

7. Relief rainfall
Relief rain is formed when
air is forced to cool as it
rises over relief (height)
features in the landscape
(hills or mountains).
1. Air is forced to rise and cools by 1°C per 100m.
2. As the water vapour in the air condenses, it forms clouds
and rains.
3. The air starts to descend and begins to warm up again.
4. As air warms up, it can hold more water vapour - clouds
disappear and rain stops. This side is known as a
RAINSHADOW.

8. Frontal rain

9. Frontal Rainfall
1. An area of warm air meets and area of cold air.
2. The warm air is forced over the cold air
3. Where the air meets the warm air is cooled and water
vapour condenses.
4. Clouds form and precipitation occurs.

10. Make a copy of all three types of
rainfall, and explain what happens at
stage 1, 2, 3 and 4 for each of them.

11. Copy and complete:
I know how it rains. Firstly warm _____ rises because hot air
is lighter than cold air. As it rises it ________. This makes
condensation. We see this in the sky as ________. When the
clouds get to a certain point they can hold no more
_________. This is when it ______.
Relief Rainfall.
Relief rainfall happens when the air is forced to ______ as it
hits the mountain. As it rises it_______, forms clouds and
then it _______.
WATER
RAIN COOLS CLOUDS
COOLS RAINS AIR
RISE

13. Cloud cover is measured in Oktas. Today there are _______
Oktas of cloud.

14. We know there are many different types of cloud, because
not all cloud looks the same.
You might see more
than one of these
types of clouds in the
sky all at once.

15. These are the main types of cloud:
Cirrus clouds are wispy, like a lock of
hair, and are high up.
Stratus clouds are layers, and are
middle to low clouds.
Cumulus means ‘heap,’ cumulus clouds
look a bit like cotton wool balls
Cumulonimbus clouds are tall and
dense, usually resulting in rain or

16. Any cloud with the word cirro or cirrus is a high cloud.
Any cloud with the word alto in it is about in the middle.
Any cloud with nimbo or nimbus added onto it means it is
producing precipitation.

17. Add labels to your diagram of the clouds.

18. Type of Cloud
Appearance
Altitude (height)
Cumulo-nimbus
=Thunderheads
Can cause lightning, thunder, hail, strong
rains, strong winds, and tornadoes
Near ground up to 75,000 feet
(Vertical clouds)
Cirro-stratus
Thin, wispy, appears in sheets. Located
above thunderheads
Above 18,000 feet
(High-altitude clouds)
Cirrus
Thin, wispy, filamentous, or curly
Above 18,000 feet
(High-altitude clouds)
Cirro-cumulus
Small, puffy, patchy and/or with a wavelike
appearance
Above 18,000 feet
(High-altitude clouds)
Alto-cumulus
Medium-sized puffy, patchy, scattered
clouds - often in linear bands
6,500 - 20,000 feet
(Middle-altitude clouds)
Alto-stratus
Thin, uniform
6,500 - 20,000 feet
(Middle-Alttude clouds)
Strato-cumulus
Broad and flat on the bottom, puffy on top,
Below 6,500 feet
(Low-altitude clouds)
Cumulus
Puffy and piled up.
Below 6,500 feet
(Vertical clouds)
Stratus
Uniform, flat, thick to thin layered clouds
will ill-defined edges
Below 6,500 feet
(Low-altitude clouds)
Nimbo-stratus
Uniform, dark, flat, low, featureless clouds
that produce precipitation
Below 6,500 feet
(Low-altitude clouds)

19. alto-cumulus - Middle-level, medium-sized puffy clouds.
alto-stratus - Middle-level, layered clouds.
cirro-cumulus - High-altitude, small, wispy, patchy, puffy
clouds.
cirro-stratus - High-altitude, thin, wispy clouds in layers.
cirrus - High-altitude, thin, wispy clouds.
cumulo-nimbus- Large, dense, towering clouds that cause
thunderstorms.
cumulus - Low, puffy clouds.
fog - Ground-hugging clouds.
nimbo-stratus - Low, dark, rain cloud.
stratus - Low, layered, horizontal, wispy clouds with a flat
base.
strato-cumulus - Low clouds, broad and flat on the bottom,
puffy on top (higher than cumulus and lower than altocumulus

20. Now answer the following questions:
1.What are clouds?
2.What is cloud cover measured in?
3.What are the three main cloud types?
4.What name do high level clouds begin with?
5.What types of clouds does convectional rainfall cause?

24. Cumulus

25. Cumulonimbus

26. Cumulonimbus

27. Cumulus

28. Cirrus

29. Stratus

30. Cumulus

31. Stratus

32. Cirrus

33. Cumulus

34. Cirrus

35. Stratus

36. Cumulonimbus

37. Cumulus

38. Cirrus