Video · 1:07
Where does rain and thunder actually come from?
Rain and thunder begin when the sun warms water into an invisible gas that floats into the cold sky to form clouds. Inside freezing storm clouds, crashing bits of ice build up an electric charge that shoots out as lightning, heating the air hotter than the Sun's surface and creating a boom of thunder. Meanwhile, tiny water drops pile up until they grow too heavy to float, falling back down as cool rain.
Watch on YouTube ↗Key facts
- The sun warms water into an invisible gas that rises into the cold sky to make clouds.
- Inside freezing storm clouds, crashing bits of ice knock electrons loose to create a huge electric charge.
- Lightning heats the air hotter than the surface of the Sun, bursting with a boom of thunder.
- Rain falls when water drops inside a dark storm cloud become too heavy to float.
Questions people also ask
What causes thunder?
Thunder happens when a flash of lightning heats the air hotter than the surface of the Sun, making the air burst with a loud boom.
How does lightning build up in a cloud?
Strong winds blow fast inside freezing storm clouds, causing tiny bits of ice to crash together and knock electrons loose. This builds up a huge electric charge that bursts out as a bright flash of lightning.
Why does rain fall from clouds?
Water drops pile up higher and higher inside dark storm clouds until they become too heavy to float.
What the video says
Have you ever wondered where storms come from? It starts with the sun. The sun warms water into invisible gas.
This warm gas floats up into the cold sky. There, it cools down. It turns into tiny water drops, making a fluffy cloud.
The drops pile up higher and higher. They grow into a giant, dark storm cloud. Inside this freezing cloud, strong winds blow fast.
Tiny bits of ice crash into each other. Like rubbing socks on a carpet, each bump knocks tiny electrons loose, building up a huge electric charge.
The electric energy grows stronger and stronger. The cloud cannot hold it anymore. Suddenly, a bright flash of lightning shoots across the dark sky.
The lightning heats the air hotter than the Sun's surface, and it bursts with a boom of thunder. Meanwhile, the water drops grow too heavy to float and fall as cool rain.
