Rain Water Facts

• Rain falls from clouds in the sky in the form of water droplets, this is called precipitation.
• Water can also fall from the sky in the form of hail, sleet or snow.
• Rain is an important part of the water cycle.
• Rain occurs on other planets in our Solar System but it is different to the rain we experience here on Earth. For example, rain on Venus is made of sulfuric acid and due to the intense heat it evaporates before it even reaches the surface!
• Weather radar is used to detect and monitor rain.
• Rain gauges are use to measure the amount of rain over a certain period of time. Try making your own rain gauge.
• The highest amount of rainfall ever recorded in 24 hours is 182.5 centimetres (71.9 inches) in Foc-Foc, La Réunion. This occurred during tropical cyclone Denise on January 8, 1966.
• The highest amount of rainfall ever recorded in one year is 25.4 meters (1000 inches) in Cherrapunji, India.
• Antarctica is the driest continent on Earth.
• Heavy rain can cause flooding and landslides.
• Rain allows us to create electricity through hydropower.
• Plants need water in order to survive, they receive much of this water from rain.
• Forests that experience high levels of rainfall are called rainforests.
• Rain with high levels of acid (a low pH) is called acid rain. Caused by the release of sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxides into the air (often from factories and power stations), it can be harmful to plants and animals.
• The umbrella was orginally made to protect from the sun's heat.
• Rain drops can fall at speeds of about 22 miles an hour – where a snowflake falls about 2-4 mph, taking about an hour to hit the ground.
• Rain starts off as ice or snow crystals at cloud level. A droplet of water will stay in Earth’s atmosphere for around 10 days.
• Raindrops fall at a speed of 5 to 18 miles per hour depending on the size of the raindrops.
• Most raindrops are very tiny—no more than ¼ inch in diameter.
• Rain is also used to create electricity. We call this hydroelectricity or hydropower.
• More rain falls in tropical places than in any other type of climate.
• Desserts get less rain than any other type of climate except the continent of Antarctica. It is the driest continent on Earth.
• Rain drops do not fall in a tear drop shape, they originally fall in the shave of a flat oval.
• Rain that freezes before it hits the ground is known as frozen rain.
• Rain drops range in size from 0.02 inches to about .031 inches. About an inch of rain water is equal to about 15 inches of dry snow.