How do clouds form?

Clouds form through a process driven by rising air. When warm air carrying invisible water vapour rises, it cools as it climbs higher into the atmosphere. Cooler air can hold less moisture, so the vapour condenses into tiny water droplets or ice crystals, gathering around microscopic specks of dust or salt. Billions of these droplets together form a visible cloud. When the droplets grow large and heavy enough, they fall as rain or snow, linking clouds to the wider water cycle.