Rainbow Cloudtop · Weather07 / 12

Clouds, wind, lightning and hail: 8 facts for kids

Clouds are water drops, wind is moving air, and a rainbow is light split by drops. Rainbow Cloudtop is a cluster of islands floating above the clouds. Clouds are tiny drops and ice crystals, wind is moving air, and you see lightning before you hear thunder because light travels faster than sound. The rainbow bridge in the game is pure fantasy: you can’t walk on a real rainbow.

01

Clouds

Clouds consist of suspended droplets or ice crystals, not just invisible water vapour.

What are clouds made of? Read more →

02

Wind

Air movement driven by pressure differences creates wind; windsocks show local flow.

What makes the wind blow? Read more →

03

Rainbows and fantasy bridges

A rainbow is an optical phenomenon, not a real walkway; this game’s bridge is fantasy.

How do rainbows form, and can you walk on one? Read more →

04

Lightning

Lightning is an electrical discharge. Light reaches you faster than sound.

Why do we see lightning before we hear thunder? Read more →

05

Hail

Hail grows as ice in strong convective clouds; it is not falling stone.

How does hail form? Read more →

06

Pressure and weather

Pressure changes offer clues when combined with wind, clouds and other observations.

Can changes in air pressure help forecast the weather? Read more →

07

Sundials

Sundials use changing shadows cast by sunlight; overcast skies make them hard to read.

How does a sundial tell the time? Read more →

08

Temperature at height

Air in the troposphere generally cools with height, though weather affects the pattern.

Why is it colder higher up? Read more →