Why does weather behave the way it does?
WeatherMeteo explores the physics, optics and fluid dynamics behind the clouds, fog, lightning and wind you encounter every day. No predictions. No drama. Just explanations.
What actually drives a thundercloud to grow ten kilometres tall in under an hour.
Why a stepped leader follows a jagged path instead of the shortest line to ground.
How a two-millibar difference between Bristol and Birmingham determines a week of weather.
Pick what you are curious about
Each weather phenomenon has its own set of mechanisms. Choose a category and read the explanation behind it.
Why cumulonimbus clouds form and why they stop
The tropopause is a lid. Understanding why convection halts there explains most of what we see in thunderstorms.
Low cloudWhat fog actually is and the three ways it forms
Radiation, advection, upslope. Each type has a distinct mechanism that produces a distinct feel on the ground.
Why lightning picks a jagged path to the ground
The stepped leader does not know where it is going. Understanding that reframes everything about lightning strikes.
OpticsRainbow formation: why 42 degrees matters
Every raindrop returns one colour at one angle. The rainbow you see is the sum of billions of individual events.
Rainbow formation: why 42 degrees matters
Every raindrop returns one colour at one angle. The rainbow you see is the sum of billions of individual events.
DynamicsWind patterns: why the Beaufort scale still holds up
Francis Beaufort designed his scale for sailing ships. A century and a half later, meteorologists still use a modified version.
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