Some places get more rain because they are near big water like oceans or lakes! 🌊 The sun warms the water, and tiny drops go up into the sky to make clouds. When clouds get too heavy, they drop the water as rain! 🌧️ Some places have mountains that catch the clouds and make it rain a lot. Other places are far from water, so they don't get much rain.
Fun fact: The wettest place on Earth is Mawsynram in India, where it rains almost every day! 🌧️😊
Rain happens when water from oceans, lakes, and rivers evaporates into the air and forms clouds. 🌊☁️ Some places get more rain because of their location. For example, near the equator, the sun heats the water a lot, causing more evaporation and rain. 🌞 Places near mountains also get more rain because clouds get "stuck" on the mountains and release their water there. This is called the rain shadow effect!
Fun fact: The Amazon Rainforest gets so much rain that it creates its own weather! 🌧️🌳
Rainfall varies due to factors like latitude, altitude, and wind patterns. Near the equator, warm air rises, cools, and forms rain-heavy clouds (this is the Intertropical Convergence Zone). Coastal areas get more rain because ocean winds carry moisture. Mountains force air to rise, causing rain on one side (windward) and dry conditions on the other (leeward)—this is the rain shadow effect.
Deserts like the Sahara get little rain because they are in high-pressure zones where dry air sinks. 🌍🌧️
Fun fact: Cherrapunji, India, once had 1,000 inches of rain in a year—that's as tall as a 7-story building! 🏢🌧️