Before there were sophisticated radars to help meteorologists forecast the weather, farmers and sailors paid close attention to the sky to predict whether a storm might be approaching.
One of the best ways to tell whether rain will be falling is to observe the clouds.
Clouds are made of droplets of water or ice crystals. There are many types of clouds, and each helps predict a specific type of weather. For example, cumulonimbus clouds are large, thick clouds that often form in the summer on hot, humid days.
These clouds are harbingers (see definition and pronunciation below) of rain, lightning and thunder. So, if you see some cumulonimbus clouds overhead, you’d be wise to take cover!
Cool word vocabulary question of the day: Can you think of any harbingers of extreme weather?
HARBINGER: Something that signals what is to come, forerunner.
Click to hear the pronunciation of harbinger.
https://coolwordclub.com/wp-content/uploads/harbinger.mp3
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