Any reuse without express permission from the copyright owner is prohibited. CC BY-NC-ND 3.0Įxcept where otherwise noted, images are subject to copyright. (2016), What causes heavy rainfall?, Eos, 97. Although the strongest precipitation events also took place when the atmosphere was less stable than it typically is during weaker events, an unstable atmosphere itself does not always foreshadow heavy rainfall. Warmer temperatures and increased moisture in the atmosphere seemed to correlate more with heavier precipitation events than with weaker ones. Overall, the results suggested that no single factor correlated perfectly with heavy rainfall. Then, they investigated if certain atmospheric conditions-moisture content, atmospheric stability, and large-scale upward winds-correlated with the stronger precipitation events. Then, they used a regional climate model to provide additional atmospheric conditions and tendencies over the same period.įrom these data, the scientists identified more than 44,000 separate precipitation events in the Netherlands, and for each event, the team determined the peak precipitation intensity. cataloged atmospheric conditions that accompany extreme precipitation events at midlatitudes.The researchers analyzed surface data from more than 30 automated weather stations across the Netherlands, collected from 1995 to mid-2014. Because of the high impact these extreme precipitation events could have on society-by potentially triggering, for example, devastating flooding events-it is important to understand the atmospheric conditions that set the stage for these incidents. Heavy downpours in the United States have become more frequent over the last 3 to 5 decades, and global warming is thought to have increased rainfall in some of the world’s driest regions. The world has been getting drenched as a result of climate change. We won’t be able to answer every question, but we will do our best.Source: Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres Hello, curious kids! Do you have a question you’d like an expert to answer? Ask an adult to send your question to tell us your name, age and the city where you live. Now, whether you are soaked or singing in the rain, you’ll know why. Summer thunderstorms may deliver an inch or more of rain on one suburb while leaving another area dry a few miles away. Here in Georgia, USA, it rains fairly evenly all during the year, around 40-50 inches (102-127 centimeters (cm)) per year. Other times they bring only a nice peaceful drizzle. Precipitation does not fall in the same amounts throughout the world, in a country, or even in a city. Sometimes clouds can rain so hard it feels like you are standing in the shower. When strong winter storms drop lots of heavy rain, the same principles are at work: lots of moisture in the air, fast upwards wind currents and tall clouds. Of course, winter can deliver some strong storms too – especially over the warmer ocean water. Once the rain falls from the clouds and squashes the upward air currents, the clouds disappear and you often see a nice blue sky.
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Thankfully, because thunderstorms are so violent and relatively small, they don’t last very long. These sudden torrential downpours, called cloudbursts, can lead to flash flooding that can overflow streams and roads and trap people wherever they are. Thunderstorms can drop one, two or even three inches of rain in less than an hour. When the weight of all the water droplets gets to be too much for the wind, the wind current collapses, and all the raindrops in the cloud come crashing down at once. But since the wind is blowing upwards so fast, the droplets can get huge before gravity drags them down to Earth. Water droplets form quickly as the air moves up through the clouds.
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Where does heavy rain take place full#
The air also holds much more moisture than winter clouds – up to five times as much.Īll of this creates very tall, thick clouds that are full of moisture. The warm, moist air rises very quickly – like a hot air balloon – and can be moving as fast as 30 to 40 miles per hour. Summer thunderstorms are the perfect example. Hard rainstorms happen when there is a lot of moisture in the air and the air moves upwards very fast. Greg Lundeen/NOAA Thunderstorms and big winter storms are quick and intense
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Massive thunderstorms called supercells can form when the right weather ingredients come together.