Distribution of Rainfall
One of the primary elements in climate and a factor of tremendous importance in the distribution of plant and animal life, rainfall varies from less than an inch annually in a desert to more than 400 in. (1,000 cm) where the monsoons strike the Khasi hills in Assam, India, and on the windward slopes of Hawaiian mountains. In the United States the range is from less than 2 in. (5 cm) in Death Valley, Calif., to more than 100 in. (250 cm) on the coast of Washington state; in most of the country the average rainfall is between 15 and 45 in. (38 and 114 cm) annually.
Factors controlling the distribution of rainfall over the earth's surface are the belts of converging-ascending air flow (see doldrums; polar front), air temperature, moisture-bearing winds, ocean currents, distance inland from the coast, and mountain ranges. Ascending air is cooled by expansion, which results in the formation of clouds and the production of rain. Conversely, in the broad belts of descending air (see horse latitudes) are found the great desert regions of the earth, descending air being warmed by compression and consequently absorbing instead of releasing moisture. If the temperature is low, the air has a small moisture capacity and is able to produce little precipitation. When winds blow over the ocean, especially over areas of warm water (where evaporation of moisture into the air is active) toward a given coastal area, that area receives more rainfall than a similar area where the winds blow from the interior toward the oceans. Areas near the sea receive more rain than inland regions, since the winds constantly lose moisture and may be quite dry by the time they reach the interior of a continent.
The windward slopes of mountain ranges generally receive heavy rainfall; the leeward slopes receive almost no rain. The southwest coast of Chile, the west coast of Canada, and the northwest coast of the United States receive much rain because they are struck by the moisture-bearing westerlies from the Pacific and are backed by mountains that force the winds to rise and drop their moisture. The territories immediately east of the regions mentioned are notably dry. See weather.
Sections in this article:
- Introduction
- Formation of Raindrops
- Measurement of Rainfall
- Distribution of Rainfall
- Rain and Religion
- Bibliography
The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2023, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.
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FAQs
How do we get rain Short answer? ›
Raindrops fall to Earth when clouds become saturated, or filled, with water droplets. Millions of water droplets bump into each other as they gather in a cloud. When a small water droplet bumps into a bigger one, it condenses, or combines, with the larger one.
Why does it rain Short answer? ›Clouds are made up of tiny water droplets. When these droplets grow, they eventually become too heavy to stay suspended in the sky and fall to the ground as rain. Some droplets fall through the cloud and coalesce into raindrops on their way down.
What does 80% chance of rain mean? ›That's because weather forecasts give their “percentage chance” in probabilities. The answer? An “80% chance of rain” means that there is an 80% chance that rain will fall somewhere within the forecasted area. Rain refers to 0.01 inch or more.
How does it rain explanation text? ›What causes rain? Clouds are made of water droplets. Within a cloud, water droplets condense onto one another, causing the droplets to grow. When these water droplets get too heavy to stay suspended in the cloud, they fall to Earth as rain.
Where is the rain answer? ›Where does the rain fall? Answer: Rain falls all around- on the field, on trees, on umbrellas and on ships.
How does rain Full? ›Then, clouds are formed from these tiny droplets. They become larger and too heavy to remain in the air when they are all combined together. Due to gravity, they will then start to descend to the ground as rain, snow, or hail, and thus it causes rainfall.
Why is rain called itself? ›The vapour rises to the sky, condenses and forms clouds which cause rain. Though we are aware of its presence, the process remains invisible to us. Hence, the rain has rightly called itself 'impalpable'.
Why is rain called rain? ›Middle English rein, from Old English regn "rain, descent of water in drops through the atmosphere," from Proto-Germanic *regna- (source also of Old Saxon regan, Old Frisian rein, Middle Dutch reghen, Dutch regen, German regen, Old Norse regn, Gothic rign "rain"), with no certain cognates outside Germanic, unless it is ...
When there is very little or no rain *? ›To a meteorologist, a drought is a prolonged period when precipitation is less than normal. To a water manager, a drought is a deficiency in water supply that affects water availability and water quality. To a hydrologist, a drought is an extended period of decreased precipitation and streamflow.
What does 100% chance of rain really mean? ›When we give a percent chance of rain, we as meteorologists know that it will rain at some point that day. The percent is the amount of area coverage or people that will see rain for sure.
Is 70% a high chance of rain? ›
40%-50% - SCATTERED - Roughly half of the area will encounter a shower or storm. 60%-70% - NUMEROUS - Much of the area is covered so it's likely you will get wet. 80%-100% - WIDESPREAD - The entire area is covered with showers and storms so everyone gets rain!
Does 50% chance mean it will rain? ›A 50 percent chance of rain means there is a 50 percent chance for any one spot in the forecast area to get wet during the forecast period.
What is rain explained for kids? ›Rain is the liquid form of water that falls from the sky in drops. Rain fills lakes, ponds, rivers, and streams. It provides the fresh water needed by humans, animals, and plants. If too much rain falls, however, dangerous flooding may happen.
What is rain in simple words? ›Rain is water droplets that have condensed from atmospheric water vapor and then fall under gravity. Rain is a major component of the water cycle and is responsible for depositing most of the fresh water on the Earth.
Why is a smile a funny thing? ›Why is a smile a funny thing? Answer: A smile is a funny thing because it wrinkles up our faces but when it is gone, no one can find its hiding place.
Does all rain start as snow? ›Let us go through them all here. To start off, nearly all precipitation begins as snow. Temperatures are well below freezing where a cloud forms, so when precipitation begins, it often starts as snow.
Why is rain so strong? ›As temperatures rise, more water evaporates from soils, plants, oceans and waterways — this becomes vapor. Additional water vapor means there's more water available for heavier rain and snow.
How does it rain without clouds? ›In reality, there is no real occurrence of rain without any clouds. Although it may be clear where you are experiencing a light rain or mist, the raindrops did originate from a cloud system. The wind can carry the rain several miles away from the cloud system.
How fast does rain dry up? ›Small puddles would form but usually disappear after a short while. 1/4 (0.25) of an inch of rain – A light rain for 2-3 hours, moderate rain for 30-60 minutes or heavy rain for 15 minutes. There would be many puddles on the ground and they would not disappear easily.
Does rain have a purpose? ›Rain and snow are key elements in the Earth's water cycle, which is vital to all life on Earth. Rainfall is the main way that the water in the skies comes down to Earth, where it fills our lakes and rivers, recharges the underground aquifers, and provides drinks to plants and animals.
Was there always rain on Earth? ›
— In its infancy, Earth did not have rain showers like today, but instead endured massive storms capable of dumping more than a foot of water in just a few hours, according to new research. The massive deluges occurred because the planet was around 20 degrees Fahrenheit (11 Celsius) hotter than today.
Can it always rain? ›Yes. Thanks to the Earth's water cycle, it is always raining in some part of the world every day. Rain is a form of precipitation, much like snow. As the precipitation falls from the atmosphere, the Earth collects it in soil, plants and bodies of water.
Why is rain white? ›Compared to light particles, the cloud drops are huge! Because the drops of water are much bigger than the waves of the light particles, they bounce all the different colours together to make white light. That is why some clouds look white.
Why the rain is blue? ›Raindrops act as prisms. As a wave of white light enters a sphere of water, it refracts, or bends, separating the white light into its rays of color — each with its own wavelength. Blue light takes a shorter wavy path and bends the most; red light has a longer wave pattern and bends the least.
What is very fine rain called? ›Drizzle is light rain falling in fine drops. The drizzle had now stopped and the sun was breaking through. If it is drizzling, it is raining very lightly.
What is very little rain? ›Desert: The region which receives very little rainfall is called a desert.
What is the other words for no rain? ›A drought is a long period of time during which no rain falls.
How accurate is rain Probability? ›The good news is that the average person doesn't need to get out a pencil and paper every time they read the forecast. According to the National Weather Service, if you see a 40 percent chance of rain, "there is a 40 percent chance that rain will occur at any given point in the area."
What does 20% chance of rain mean? ›A forecast of a 20 percent chance of rain means the forecaster believes there is a one in five chance (20 percent) that measurable rain will occur in the time period covered by the forecast.
What does 40% rain mean? ›If a forecast for a given county says that there is a 40% chance of rain this afternoon, then there is a 40% chance of rain at any point in the county from noon to 6 p.m. local time.
Does 30% mean it will rain? ›
It stated that a 30% chance of rain means that there's a 100% chance it will rain in 30% of the forecast area.
Is an inch of rain a lot? ›Rainfall rate is generally described as light, moderate or heavy. Light rainfall is considered less than 0.10 inches of rain per hour. Moderate rainfall measures 0.10 to 0.30 inches of rain per hour. Heavy rainfall is more than 0.30 inches of rain per hour.
How do rain percentages work? ›Confidence multiplied by the percentage of the area forecasted equals the "percentage of precipitation." So if there's a 100% confidence that 30% of the area will see rain, then it's a 30% chance [(1 x 0.3)100 = PoPs].
What is a percent chance of rain? ›Instead, it means a certain percentage of the forecasted area will definitely see rain—so if you see a 40% chance, it means 40% of the forecasted area will see rainfall.
How do we get rain? ›You could collect rain water naturally simply by using things you already have around your home like buckets, a child's swimming pool, watering cans, etc. Simply allow them to fill up with the rain water and use the water within a short amount of time.
How do rain Come for kids? ›In a cloud, droplets come together with other droplets to form larger drops of water. Eventually, the drops become too heavy to stay in the cloud. They fall to Earth as rain.
How do you get make it rain? ›With cloud seeding, small particles of silver iodide, a salt with a crystalline structure similar to that of ice, are added to clouds. This process can be performed either from a plane or drone, or particles can be shot up from the ground.
Can you drink rain water? ›Germs and other contaminants are found in rainwater.
While useful for many things, rainwater is not as pure as you might think, so you cannot assume it is safe to drink.
Precipitation is any liquid or frozen water that forms in the atmosphere and falls to Earth. It is one of the three main steps of the global water cycle.
Can it rain without clouds? ›In reality, there is no real occurrence of rain without any clouds. Although it may be clear where you are experiencing a light rain or mist, the raindrops did originate from a cloud system. The wind can carry the rain several miles away from the cloud system.
Can you trigger rain? ›
Farmers have long wished they could control the rain, and now weather manipulation can do just that. Cloud seeding, the most common way to modify weather, involves shooting silver iodide or other chemicals into clouds to encourage precipitation. In other words, a silver bullet can make it rain.
Why is it hot before rain? ›When warm humid air flows into cool air the humidity is condensed into rain as the warm air cools. The temperature rise your feeling is the warm humid air rolling into your cooler area before it rains. Your body cools itself by sweat evaporating which disperses your heat into the surrounding atmosphere.
What does raining cash mean? ›To make it rain is to freely give out cash or other items, make a lot of money, or become a big success.
How can you make it rain without getting wet? ›- Stay Indoors. The best option to avoid getting wet is to stay indoors. ...
- Carry an Umbrella. The next best option is to be prepared for a sudden spell of rainfall. ...
- Carry a Raincoat. ...
- Wear Protective Shoes. ...
- Umbrella-Hat. ...
- Run Fast.
"Making it rain" is when you hold a stack of bills in one hand and use the fingers of the other hand to peel off bills one at a time in rapid fashion and/or throw out small increments of bills out on valets, doormen, dancers, and prominent cheese steak shops.