How is rain formed and why?

Do you know how rain is formed and why?

During the months when you go to school, there are always days when the rain surprises us and gives us large puddles to jump over. How fun it is to play with water! But have you ever wondered how rain is formed?

Why does it rain in autumn and winter

Rain is part of what we call the meteorological phenomena of nature. And although they always make us think of winter, the truth is that it can also rain in summer. Has it ever happened to you while you were playing with the sand on the beach?

The most common thing when it rains on hot days is that it is to increase temperatures even more. It all depends on the humidity in the environment, which is what decides whether it will be colder or hotter later. Water is not always to cool us down!

The planet we live on, Earth, is surrounded by a layer of gas called the atmosphere. In it it is always possible to find water vapor, which is that kind of smoke that forms in the bathroom when we take a hot shower. However, for it to rain it is necessary for that vapor to condense. Do you want to know how rain is formed? Well, keep reading!

How is rain formed

Understanding how rain is formed is very simple if we imagine a very thin cloud. You can shape it into any animal you like. This air with funny shapes is the water vapor we were talking about, and it is in the atmosphere all year round. It is a gas that is formed by the existence of the sea, both in its liquid state and in the form of glaciers, that is, ice.

The first thing needed in the magic of how rain forms is warm air. Have you always thought that it rained because it was cold? Well no! That warm air is needed so that it can start to rain.

Have you seen the drops that form in the bathroom when you take a hot shower in winter? Well, how rain is formed is very similar, if not exactly the same. When autumn arrives, fronts of cold air begin to reach the atmosphere. This air, when combined with the mass of warm air that exists all year round, causes those thick clouds to form that make us think of winter.

That water vapor or warmer air that is always in the atmosphere returns to its liquid state due to the cold, and then reaches us in the form of droplets. It's very easy to understand how rain is formed!

Then, with the cold and rain, the trees have less capacity to transpire. That is, they cannot breathe as much as they need to maintain their leaves and flowers, so they lose them and fall to the ground. And this is how the winter landscape is completed. How interesting it is to know how rain is formed!

Why rain is important

Now that you know how rain is formed, you also need to understand its importance for life on Earth. Thanks to the water that falls, the soil is hydrated, since with the summer heat it also becomes thirsty. When it has drunk enough, the landscape turns green again and allows many animals, including us humans, to continue living.

Also, rivers and lakes fill again, and freshwater fish maintain their home. The seas also fill up, but because they are so large, it is not so noticeable. And finally, thanks to the rain we can collect water and use it to wash and cook.

However, sometimes it does not rain as much as we would like, so it is very important not to waste the water we have at home. Turn off the tap when you are applying soap and store the cold soap in a bucket before showering. We can use it to water the house plants or to clean the floor.

Knowing how rain is formed helps us understand our ecosystem, but the most important thing is to learn to respect it.

Let's take care of the planet together!