Rain Clouds

[starone]

I know this is a silly question, but why don't the rain clouds disappear once they have got rid of their rain - over this island most of the time. Judging by the pictures of cloud movement on the tv they seem to move on to the next place and drop some more and then swirl round to come back to the same place and still seem to have plenty of rain in them. Just asking - idle contemplation and curiosity again.

[heathfield]

Clouds are made up of minute droplets of water, small enough to float in the air, like steam from a kettle. Some of them will collide with others and grow into a heavier water drop that can't float - so it falls as rain. Other floating droplets don't collide, but carry on floating - so the cloud is still there

[flump1]

Star, what a wonderful question ! I have no idea, so I hoped for an answer and heathfield has obliged .

[heathfield]

Good, (and more full) explanation here...

http://www.geography-...does%20it%20rain.html

[starone]

Thanks heathfield. Wish the damn things would hurry up and go away. I'm fed up with seeing grey clouds every morning when I wake up and still there when I go to bed.

[starone]

Just read your link heathfield. Lovely - a really simple explanation, simple enough for me to understand. Thanks again.

[ZebUK]

It was on the radio earlier today with Mr Vine.

To rain you also need dust particles to make the water droplets. If one expires the other will remain until some more of the expired appears :)