We are used to rain, wind, and even snow. But some weather can be very unusual. Sometimes it can be beautiful. Other times it can be scary.
Have you ever seen a rainbow? Rainbows are very special. They only appear when rain and sunshine happen at the same time.
Do you know the colours of the rainbow? A rainbow is made of red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet. When we look at a normal light, we just see white. But actually, all light is made up of these seven colours.
You can break white light into seven colours by shining it through a special shape. This special shape is called a prism. A prism is a 3-dimensional shape. The light that goes in is white. The light that comes out is a rainbow.
Have you ever seen a small rainbow on the wall in your home or classroom? That happens because light is shining through a prism. The prism might be some plastic. The prism might be some glass.
Many things can be prisms. Rain can be a prism. That is why rainbows happen. The sunlight shines through the raindrop prisms. We get a rainbow! Rainbows are very beautiful.
But not all strange weather is beautiful. Have you ever heard of a heatwave? A heatwave is a period of extremely hot weather. It sounds great, but it is actually very worrying. People are in danger of heat-related illness. It is a sign that the earth is warming.
Heavy rainfall can create strange weather. When rain falls on a steep hillside, it mixes with the mud. It starts to pick things up on its path. It picks up trees and rocks and other debris. It can even pick up cars. Mudslides also happen when snow on hillsides melts.
Sometimes, wind can create strange weather. When warm air hits cold air, it can create a horizontal spinning wind effect. It takes the shape of a funnel. This is called a whirlwind.
Whirlwinds can become very powerful. If it reaches the ground, it's called a tornado. Tornadoes can pick up cars and even houses.
Strange weather can be beautiful, but it can also cause lots of damage. What's the strangest weather you have seen?