Page 30 - NT 2022 Almanac

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This is an old country saying, and there is some truth in it. If you see a halo around the moon or sun at this time of year, it is because ice crystals can sometimes form in high clouds. These make a ring or ‘halo’ appear, and later these crystals may fall as rain. Rainy days can seem boring, but remember that the rain is doing a good job of watering all those tiny plants that are waiting for spring to arrive. Also, the rain comes from clouds which come in all shapes and sizes. Cloud spotting can be fun – what kind of pictures and shapes can you see in the clouds today?
Cloud Spotting
Most of our names for clouds come from Latin. They are a combination of the following:
Cumulus/cumulo =
heaped up/puffy, like cauliflower
Alto =
medium level
Stratus/strato =
low, flat/layered and smooth
Cirrus/cirro =
high up/wispy
Nimbus/nimbo =
rain-bearing cloud
Combining the names tells you a bit more about the clouds. For example: nimbus + stratus = ‘nimbostratus’. This is a cloud which is flat and layered and will probably bring rain. ‘Cumulonimbus’ is a puffy cloud which will bring rain, too.
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