A Sky-High Look at Nature’s Floating Factories: Clouds!

– Shivaan Darda

We see them every day—puffy, wispy, dramatic, or dark—but have you ever stopped to wonder what clouds actually are? Those fluffy sky castles may look light as cotton, but they’re busy factories of weather, carrying tons of water, electricity, and energy around the planet.

1. Clouds Are Made of Water—Lots of It
Clouds form when warm air rises and cools, causing water vapour to condense into tiny droplets or ice crystals that cling to dust particles. A single cubic meter of cloud can hold over 100 million droplets of water. That’s why an average cumulus cloud can weigh more than 500,000 kilograms—the weight of about 100 elephants—yet still floats because the air below is even heavier.

2. Not All Clouds Are the Same
Clouds come in many personalities.

• Cumulus: Big, white, and fluffy—your classic “good weather” cloud.
• Stratus: Grey and flat, spreading across the sky like a giant blanket.
• Cirrus: Wispy and feather-like, found high above, where it’s freezing cold.
• Cumulonimbus: Towering thunderclouds that can stretch up to 12 kilometres tall and produce lightning, rain, and even hail.

3. They Make the Weather Happen
Clouds aren’t just decoration—they’re part of Earth’s climate engine. They trap heat to keep the planet warm but also reflect sunlight to keep it cool. When enough droplets merge, gravity takes over, and we get rain, snow, or hail. In tropical regions, cloud systems can carry enough energy to power a small city for days.

4.  Even Planes and Mountains Make Clouds

Ever seen a cloud trailing behind an airplane? That’s a contrail, formed when hot engine exhaust meets cold air. Mountains also create “lenticular clouds,” which look like UFOs hovering over peaks—caused by moist air flowing upward and cooling.

So next time you look up, remember: a cloud isn’t just vapour—it’s science, art, and adventure, floating high above our heads.