Home
Weather London
WeatherRadar
RainfallRadar
TemperatureRadar
WindRadar
LightningRadar
Weather News
Editor's Pick
Discover the app
Weather widget
Contact us
Apps
Career
    Home / Editor's Pick /

    Summer fun: Creating clouds in a bottle

11:00
12 August 2023

Summer fun
Creating clouds in a bottle

cloud in a bottle

Have you ever tried to make your own weather phenomena? We aren't talking about a rain dance, but simply creating a cloud in a bottle.

Creating your own cloud is very simple. All you need is a two litre plastic bottle, some warm water and a couple of matches... and adult supervision if you are too young to use matches.

Pour a small amount of warm water into the bottom of the plastic bottle, leaving the cap off. Then light a match and blow it out.

As soon as you have blown it out, you need to drop the match into the bottle and quickly tighten the water bottle cap back on.

With the lid on, gently squeeze the bottle a couple of times. Did you see a little and very brief puff of whiteness when you released the pressure?

That's the cloud you've made. If you exert more pressure to the bottle, a more noticeable whiteness should appear. But how does the cloud form in the bottle?

By squeezing the bottle you exert pressure. This causes the temperature inside the bottle to increase. When you release the pressure, the temperature in the bottle decreases causing water molecules to condense.

The smoke particles from the match enable the water molecules to condense and stick together around the smoke creating the cloud in a bottle. Have a go for yourself, but don't blink or you'll miss it!

Weather & Radar editorial team
More on the topic
Trapped beneath a blanket of hot air. Heat dome. . . Monday, 22 June 2026
Split graphic showing a heat dome illustration over Europe on the left with a high-pressure system trapping hot air, and an extreme temperature map on the right displaying widespread 40–41°C heat across France and Spain with a large thermometer icon.
Monday, 22 June 2026

Heat dome

Trapped beneath a blanket of hot air
Unusually strong thunderstorms possible. Ireland & Scotland. . . Wednesday, 24 June 2026
Weather map of Ireland and the UK showing marked warning areas and a lightning warning symbol. Indication of an increased risk of severe weather on Thursday.
Wednesday, 24 June 2026

Ireland & Scotland

Unusually strong thunderstorms possible
50 years since historic 1976 heatwave. Three-month hot spell. . . Tuesday, 23 June 2026
Black-and-white photograph from the 1976 UK heatwave showing a crowded outdoor swimming area packed with people bathing, wading, and sitting along the water's edge during extreme summer heat.
Tuesday, 23 June 2026

Three-month hot spell

50 years since historic 1976 heatwave
All weather news
This might also interest you
Seasonal warmth between spring thunder. Your weather - Your shots. . . Sunday, 19 April 2026
Split image showing coastal sunset with layered lenticular clouds over rooftops and palm trees on the left, and a green valley with river and hills under soft daylight on the right.
Sunday, 19 April 2026

Your weather - Your shots

Seasonal warmth between spring thunder
A frozen start to the weekend. Icy conditions. . . Friday, 13 February 2026
UK temperature map dated 14.02 showing widespread subzero values in blue shading, with readings such as −4 in Glasgow, −3 in Dublin, and −2 in London, alongside a blue thermometer icon.
Friday, 13 February 2026

Icy conditions

A frozen start to the weekend
Flooding, gales, and heavy snow. Storm Chandra. . . Tuesday, 27 January 2026
Split image showing aerial flooding in a town with muddy water covering roads on the left, and a rural road on the right blocked by heavy snowfall with vans stopped and a person walking in snow.
Tuesday, 27 January 2026

Storm Chandra

Flooding, gales, and heavy snow
All articles
Weather & Radar

Weather & Radar is also available on

Google Play StoreApp Store

Company

Contact us Privacy Policy Legal info Accessibility statement

Services

Uploader

Socials

facebooktwittertikToklinkList