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Several terms redirect here.
For other uses, see Rain (disambiguation), Rainy (disambiguation), Rainfall (disambiguation),
and Rainwater (disambiguation).
Heavy rainfall on a roof
Rain
Duration: 19 seconds.0:19
Typical sound of rain with thunder
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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. It provides water for hydroelectric power
plants, crop irrigation, and suitable conditions for many types of ecosystems.
The major cause of rain production is moisture moving along three-dimensional zones of temperature and moisture contrasts known
as weather fronts. If enough moisture and upward motion is present, precipitation falls from convective clouds (those with strong
upward vertical motion) such as cumulonimbus (thunder clouds) which can organize into narrow rainbands. In mountainous areas,
heavy precipitation is possible where upslope flow is maximized within windward sides of the terrain at elevation which forces moist
air to condense and fall out as rainfall along the sides of mountains. On the leeward side of mountains, desert climates can exist due
to the dry air caused by downslope flow which causes heating and drying of the air mass. The movement of the monsoon trough,
or intertropical convergence zone, brings rainy seasons to savannah climes.
The urban heat island effect leads to increased rainfall, both in amounts and intensity, downwind of cities. Global warming is also
causing changes in the precipitation pattern, including wetter conditions across eastern North America and drier conditions in the
tropics. Antarctica is the driest continent. The globally averaged annual precipitation over land is 715 mm (28.1 in), but over the
whole Earth, it is much higher at 990 mm (39 in).[1] Climate classification systems such as the Köppen classification system use
average annual rainfall to help differentiate between differing climate regimes. Rainfall is measured using rain gauges. Rainfall
amounts can be estimated by weather radar.
Formation
Water-saturated air
Air contains water vapor, and the amount of water in a given mass of dry air, known as the mixing ratio, is measured in grams of
water per kilogram of dry air (g/kg).[2][3] The amount of moisture in the air is also commonly reported as relative humidity; which is the
percentage of the total water vapor air can hold at a particular air temperature. [4] How much water vapor a parcel of air can contain
before it becomes saturated (100% relative humidity) and forms into a cloud (a group of visible and tiny water and
ice particles suspended above the Earth's surface)[5] depends on its temperature. Warmer air can contain more water vapor than
cooler air before becoming saturated. Therefore, one way to saturate a parcel of air is to cool it. The dew point is the temperature to
which a parcel must be cooled in order to become saturated.[6]
There are four main mechanisms for cooling the air to its dew point: adiabatic cooling, conductive cooling, radiational cooling, and
evaporative cooling. Adiabatic cooling occurs when air rises and expands.[7] The air can rise due to convection, large-scale
atmospheric motions, or a physical barrier such as a mountain (orographic lift). Conductive cooling occurs when the air comes into
contact with a colder surface,[8] usually by being blown from one surface to another, for example from a liquid water surface to colder
land. Radiational cooling occurs due to the emission of infrared radiation, either by the air or by the surface underneath.
[9]
Evaporative cooling occurs when moisture is added to the air through evaporation, which forces the air temperature to cool to
its wet-bulb temperature, or until it reaches saturation.[10]
The main ways water vapor is added to the air are wind convergence into areas of upward motion, [11] precipitation or virga falling
from above,[12] daytime heating evaporating water from the surface of oceans, water bodies or wet land, [13] transpiration from plants,
[14]
cool or dry air moving over warmer water,[15] and lifting air over mountains.[16] Water vapor normally begins to condense
on condensation nuclei such as dust, ice, and salt in order to form clouds. Elevated portions of weather fronts (which are three-
dimensional in nature)[17] force broad areas of upward motion within the Earth's atmosphere which form clouds decks such
as altostratus or cirrostratus.[18] Stratus is a stable cloud deck which tends to form when a cool, stable air mass is trapped
underneath a warm air mass. It can also form due to the lifting of advection fog during breezy conditions.[19]
Coalescence and fragmentation
The shape of raindrops depending upon their size:
A. Contrary to popular belief, raindrops are never tear-shaped.

B. Very small raindrops are almost spherical.
C. Larger raindrops become flattened at the bottom due to air resistance.
D. Large raindrops have a large amount of air resistance, and begin to become unstable.
E. Very large raindrops split into smaller raindrops due to air resistance.
Coalescence occurs when water droplets fuse to create larger water droplets. Air resistance typically causes the water droplets in a
cloud to remain stationary. When air turbulence occurs, water droplets collide, producing larger droplets.
As these larger water droplets descend, coalescence continues, so that drops become heavy enough to overcome air resistance
and fall as rain. Coalescence generally happens most often in clouds above freezing and is also known as the warm rain process.
[20]
In clouds below freezing, when ice crystals gain enough mass they begin to fall. This generally requires more mass than
coalescence when occurring between the crystal and neighboring water droplets. This process is temperature dependent, as
supercooled water droplets only exist in a cloud that is below freezing. In addition, because of the great temperature difference
between cloud a

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Several terms redirect here.

Heavy rainfall on a roof

Typical sound of rain with thunder

Problems playing this file? See media help.

Temperate and polar seasons

Coalescence and fragmentation

The shape of raindrops depending upon their size:

A. Contrary to popular belief, raindrops are never tear-shaped.

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