Geography
What is rain? Classify rainfall and explain convectional rainfall with a labelled diagram.
Answer
When precipitation occurs in the form of water drops, it is called rain and it is the most important form of precipitation. Rainfall can be classified into three types. They are:
- Orographic rainfall
- Convectional rainfall
- Cyclonic rainfall
Convectional rainfall — When air comes in contact with the hot surface of the earth, it gets heated, becomes light and rises in form of air current. After the warm air current reaches the upper layers of the atmosphere, it expands and loses heat. This leads to condensation and the formation of cumulus clouds. These clouds give sudden and heavy rainfall accompanied by thunder and lightning. Convectional rainfall occurs every day in the equatorial region.
