What Are Clouds Made Of?
7. Virga
You might sometimes have looked at a distant cloud and noticed that rain appears to be falling from the ground in a shaft but not reaching the ground. This is a phenomenon known as virga and it can result in some quite stunning visuals. Virgae (the plural for virga) occur when rain begins to fall but evaporates again before it reaches land.
This phenomenon is commonly experienced in the Western United States, Australasia, North Africa, and the Middle East. When the rain does reach the ground before evaporating, it is known as a precipitation shaft. Virgae can also be a cause behind other weather phenomena.
