Why cloudy nights are warmer — UPSC Prelims PYQ 2001
Cloudy nights are warmer compared to clear cloudless nights, because clouds:
- prevent cold waves from the sky from descending on Earth
- reflect back heat given off by Earth
- produce heat and radiate it towards Earth
- absorb heat from the atmosphere and send it towards Earth
Explanation
Option (b) is correct
- Cloudy nights are generally warmer because clouds act like a blanket by reflecting and re-radiating the heat emitted from the Earth’s surface back towards the ground. On clear nights, this heat escapes more easily into space, causing temperatures to fall more rapidly.
Answer: (b) reflect back heat given off by Earth
