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The rain that waters our crops and quenches the thirst of wild animals is a part of the weather phenomenon called precipitation. It is a part of the earth’s continuous water cycle. Rain happens when heat from the sunlight warms the earth’s surface and causes the water to evaporate. Next, this water vapour rises into the air and cools down, turning it into droplets. Clouds form from such numerous tiny droplets. When the droplets become too heavy, they begin to fall as rain. Isn’t the water cycle a magical phenomenon? Here are 20 other interesting facts about rain.
Facts About Rain
1. An average raindrop weighs around 0.001 ounces or 0.034 grams.
2. The size of raindrops can be anywhere between 1-6 millimetres in diameter.
3. Rain is formed due to the water cycle. It happens when water vapour condenses in the atmosphere and falls back as precipitation.
4. The Atacama Desert, located in northern Chile, is the driest place on our planet.
5. Mawsynram, located in the Indian state of Meghalaya, is the rainiest place on our planet. On average, it rains somewhere around 467.4 inches of rain a year.
6. Under certain conditions, raindrops falling from the sky may evaporate as they reach the earth’s surface and not touch the ground. This phenomenon is called Phantom Rain.
7. Small raindrops can take as long as seven minutes to reach the ground whereas large raindrops may take up to two minutes only.
8. You can predict rainfall by observing the clouds. For instance, nimbostratus and cumulonimbus clouds are the two most common types of clouds associated with rainfall.
9. On planets such as Venus, raindrops are made of methane or sulfuric acid.
10. Scientists have discovered fossils with traces of raindrops which might date back as far as 2.7 billion years ago.
11. When raindrops fall on the earth’s surface, the droplets create tiny air pockets, containing small amounts of geosmin. It is a molecule produced by soil-dwelling bacteria. Raindrops trap this molecule and then release these air pockets, dispersing geosmin into the air.
12. Petrichor is the scientific term for the distinct smell of rain. It was coined by Australian scientists in 1964.
13. Running fast in the pouring rain might keep you drier than walking.
14. The town of Yoro in Honduras experiences fish raining from the sky at least once a year. It is believed that these small fishes are picked up by tornadoes.
15. Raindrops are not teardrop in shape. When falling from a great height, air resistance flattens them out into an oblate spheroid shape.
16. Rainwater is not purely water as it contains pollutants from the atmosphere. This often makes the rain slightly acidic.
17. Rain and rainy weather can have a calming effect on some people.
18. Climate change can affect rainfall patterns across the world.
19. You can measure the amount of rainfall at any specific location using an instrument called a rain gauge.
20. The onset of rainfall is celebrated with religious beliefs in various cultures. It is often a sign of fertility, renewal, and cleansing.
Hope you had fun reading these interesting facts about rain. If you like reading about facts, you can visit our interesting facts page to read more such blogs.