chmura

Chmura, the Polish term for a cloud, is a visible aggregation of tiny water droplets or ice crystals suspended in the Earth's atmosphere. Clouds form when moist air rises, expands and cools, causing water vapor to condense onto condensation nuclei.

Depending on altitude and formation, clouds are categorized into several groups. Low clouds up to about 2 kilometers include stratus, stratocumulus and cumulus. Mid-level clouds, generally between 2 and 6 kilometers, include altostratus and altocumulus. High clouds above about 6 kilometers are cirrus, cirrostratus and cirrocumulus. Some clouds show vertical development, especially cumulus and cumulonimbus, reaching high into the sky and often producing precipitation.

Cloud formation involves processes such as adiabatic cooling, condensation, and often ice-crystal precipitation at higher altitudes. Droplet sizes are typically tens of micrometers; when droplets coalesce or ice crystals grow large, precipitation may occur as rain, snow, sleet or hail depending on atmospheric conditions.

Clouds are a central element of weather forecasting and climate studies. Their presence and type indicate humidity, stability of the atmosphere, and potential precipitation. In everyday Polish usage, chmura may also be used in figurative expressions and, in modern technology, the term chmura obliczeniowa denotes cloud computing services.