"The clouds that really freak me out are the ones that turn the sky a sort of deep bottle-green colour."

Hi, Little Hawk. From what I have read, green clouds produce hail. So don't just get under cover - put your car in the garage if you can.

I share your fear of tornados, but they also fascinate me. I read every tornado and storm book I see in the library. It still baffles and amazes me that they can even form.

As for rainbows, I have been seeing explanations all my life, and I have yet to see one that's convincing. The tiny droplets in the cloud are whizzing around like mad, right? Brownian motion? So how do they send the light rays (once split) out in order, all sorted into bands?

I go with the leprechaun theory.