Where Does Rain Come From?

Have you ever wondered where rain comes from? Rain comes from clouds, but where do clouds come from? And where does the rain go after it falls? The answer is one big circle called the water cycle!

Here is the story: The sun heats up water in oceans, lakes, and rivers. The warm water turns into tiny invisible drops called water vapor that float up into the sky. This is called evaporation.

When the water vapor gets high up where it is cold, it turns back into tiny water droplets that clump together. This is how clouds form! Scientists call this condensation.

As more and more water droplets gather in the cloud, the cloud gets heavier and heavier. When the cloud gets too heavy, the water falls back down as rain. This is called precipitation.

Then the rain flows into rivers and oceans, and the whole cycle starts again!