What are the weather conditions related to clouds?

Clouds consist of tiny water droplets or ice crystals suspended in the air. Clouds are named according to their shape and height. Clouds can be divided into three families, ten genera and twenty-nine categories.

When the air rises, it will cool down. If the air rises slowly in a wide area, it will form a layered cloud. Cirrostratus is a thin and almost transparent cloud at high altitude. High-level clouds are located at high altitude and thicker than cirrostratus. Nimbostratus is located in a lower position, and the stratocumulus is even lower, only about 500 meters away from the surface.

When the air rises rapidly, it will form a cloud. This kind of cloud is called cumulus. When cumulus clouds gather together, they form stratocumulus clouds. Cumulonimbus clouds are thick, dark and big clouds, often accompanied by lightning and thunder.

The third kind of cloud is wave cloud, which is mainly caused by wind shear (or density discontinuity layer) fluctuation above and below the inversion layer. If it is at high altitude, it is called cirrocumulus. Hollow ones are called cumulus clouds. Stratocumulus clouds will form at low altitude.