The wettest and driest place on earth. What is the rainiest place on earth Where is the wettest place on earth

Cherrapunji, an Indian mountain town on the Shillong Plateau (Meghalaya), is considered to be the rainiest place on Earth. The average annual rainfall here, indeed, was recorded at around 11,777 mm, and even more record years were noted. But ten miles (16 km) west of Cherrapunji is the settlement of Mousinam, where rainfall is 10 cm more per year. However, it so happened that it was the Cherrapunji region that was recognized by the media as the rainiest area in the world.

Weather

Tropical northern India here in the summer is particularly intense. Moisture driven by the monsoons from the Bay of Bengal accumulates over the plateau and, condensing, pours out in heavy lingering downpours. In the summer season (May-October), where the rainiest month is July, up to 90% of the rains can fall in a year. But from December to February, when rainfall reaches around 11mm, the people of Cherrapunji experience acute water shortages, an ironic paradox of the rainiest place on earth.

The area cannot be called hot. Usually, the January temperature in Cherrapunji does not fall below +11.5 °C, and in August it does not exceed +20.6 °C.

natural conditions

The tropical environment of the Eastern Khasi Mountains, where the Shillong Plateau is located, is incredibly diverse, and the state is known for orchids, of which there are about 325 species in the local forests and groves. But the nature of Cherrapunji is rather limited. The town is nestled on a plateau among low hills and ends at a cliff, exposed to constant winds. Therefore, the earth, weathered and washed out by downpours, is depleted here, and the moisture flowing down the cliff is not retained by the soil. This significantly narrows the species diversity and makes agriculture unacceptable.

Where the most rainy place on Earth, the lush tropics don't run amok. This is another paradox of Cherrapunji. The vegetation here is represented mainly by tough grass, rare shrubs and a few species of trees growing near the houses.

The town is inhabited by about 11,000 people with a significant predominance of Khasi, as in the entire state. This short people differs from the Hindus primarily in that they do not profess any of the directions of Hinduism. When the British reached these places, Christianity gradually replaced the traditional local paganism. Almost all the inhabitants of Cherrapunji, the rainiest place on Earth, are Christians (mostly Catholics), and quite zealous at that.

Such a relic of a social phenomenon as matriarchy is another feature of Khasi. The marriage partner is chosen exclusively by the woman. And until recently, she had the right to have several husbands. The heir to the family inheritance is youngest daughter, who with her husband remains in her father's house with her parents. There are quite a few women among the Khasi who chew betel, and many more wear short haircuts, which you will not see in all of India, except for foreigners.

At least some locals and equip small beds near their dwellings, yet in Cherrapunji, the rainiest place on Earth, agriculture is not applicable. Products are brought here from the nearest, located below the slope of the village. The city market is open daily, except for Sundays and religious holidays. And every eighth day, families and entire villages come here to the big bazaar from the whole district. And then all kinds of gifts of tropical nature are exhibited on the market, which the inhabitants of Cherrapunji are deprived of. It also sells wicker hard capes from the rain, which are so touching to tourists. These products are not only much cheaper, but also more practical than ordinary umbrellas: covering the whole body as much as possible, they leave their hands free, which is important for the inhabitants of the rainiest place on Earth.

The work of local residents is provided by a cement plant in Cherrapunji, limestone and coal mines near the town, and constant repair of washed-out roads.

Fascinating travel

The tourist infrastructure is gradually developing in the city and hotels are opening. What attracts tourists to the rainiest place on Earth, the town of Cherrapunji? Only through this settlement can you get to most of the surrounding villages, located several hundred meters below. And there the expected miracles already begin: the luxury of the high-mountain jungle, marvelous waterfalls, numerous streams, intriguing caves washed in limestone by downpours. In small villages lined with all sorts of tropical fruit trees and fruit-bearing palm trees, you can stop for the night and have a delicious bite to eat. The people are very friendly and the nature is incredibly beautiful.

growing bridges

The most amazing local attraction is suspension bridges grown from the roots of a rubber tree. These amazing structures are adapted to operate in the rainiest place on Earth, where any building materials quickly rot. For the formation of these river miracles, the largest and oldest trees are needed, with numerous roots hanging from the trunks.

The hollowed trunk of a palm tree is more often used as a guide base, and the thickest branched root, reaching the opposite slope in length, is used as a holding base. Bamboo poles are woven into the handrails and the base and tied with thinner roots. In a few years, the bamboo will rot, and the roots will develop, strengthen and grow into the soil of the opposite bank. The bridge is ready. Continuing to grow, it becomes stronger and more powerful over the years. Such bridges are also in two tiers.

To see such a miracle, you can go down from Cherrapunji, for example, to the village of Nongriat along a three-kilometer steep path consisting entirely of steps. You will have to get back the same way, overcoming the ascent of three thousand uneven steps. But this does not scare inveterate travelers and is worth it to plunge into a fairy tale.

The town of Cherrapunji, located in Indian state Meghalaya is considered the rainiest place on Earth. The annual rainfall here exceeds 11 thousand mm.

The state of Meghalaya is located on the Shillong Plateau in the Eastern Khasi Mountains in northeastern India. Geographical position State defines its unique natural phenomenon: the average annual rainfall here is more than 11 meters! By comparison, that's about 13 times the rainfall one of the rainiest cities in the US, Seattle, receives.

Heavy rain clouds rise up the Shillong Plateau from Bangladesh's southerly valleys, picking up more evaporative moisture as they move north. Encountering the steep slopes of the Meghalaya hills on their way, the clouds can no longer hold the accumulated moisture and pour almost incessant rain on the plateau.

The peak of precipitation falls on the two hottest summer months, during which more than half of the annual norm falls here.

Until now, precipitation levels are measured here with the help of such a primitive device, but at the end of 2014 it will be replaced by a modern automatic digital station.

Locals working outdoors escape the rain with the help of traditional "umbrellas". These simple devices made of bamboo and banana leaves, allow you to free both hands for work in the field, and also protect against strong winds.

During the rainy season, strong water currents often lead to the destruction of the rock and blocking roads. Until October, local residents are forced to cope with this problem on their own, sorting through the rubble almost by hand. After the end of the rainy season, heavy equipment comes to the aid of people. Earnings of these people do not exceed $3 a day.

AT summer months it rains every day, intensifying at night.

The state of Meghalaya is dominated by ethnicity khasi. The total number of Khasis in India is about 1 million people.

70% of local residents profess Christianity. The first church in these places was founded in 1841 by a missionary, Reverend Thomas Jones.

One of the most amazing and interesting features region are living bridges thrown over many local rivers. because of high humidity, wooden bridges in these places become unusable and rot in a few years. Therefore, local residents have learned to build unusual structures from the roots of rubber trees growing along the coast.

The basis of such a bridge is made up of bamboo trunks, which are slowly, day after day, entwined with the growing roots of rubber trees. After 6-8 years, when the bamboo inside the bridge rots, the intertwined roots can already bear the weight of a person. Bridges braided in this way can last for many years, strengthening even more as the roots grow.

As you know, the Sun on Earth shines for everyone - however, not always with the same intensity warming us with its warmth. But if the cold periods are nevertheless replaced by warm ones, then the distribution of water precipitation is devoid of even the semblance of some kind of justice.


There are places on our planet where heavy rains pour literally every day, forcing the locals to suffer from high humidity. Where is the most wet place on the ground?

The rainiest place according to Guinness book

According to the Guinness Book of Records, the wettest and rainiest place on our planet is in India. It is located in the state of Meghalaya, on one of the slopes of the East Khasi mountain range. This is the town of Mawsynrem, which even has a special sign stating that the rainiest place on globe is right here.

During the year, 11870 mm of water pours onto the roofs of Mausynrem. Is it a lot or a little? If the 38-meter statue of Christ from Rio de Janeiro stood in Mausinrem, then the water collected during the year would reach the knees of Jesus.

The name of the town in translation matters "land of the clouds", since here very often, especially during the period lasting from June to September, dense cloudiness reigns. Constantly high humidity at this time pretty annoys the locals, who, however, have learned to deal with the weather.

During the rainiest season, the inhabitants of the city throw a kind of umbrellas over their heads and shoulders, which are woven from thin bamboo shoots and wide leaves of a banana tree. They cover the roofs of houses with thick layers of straw so as not to be annoyed by the constant sound of falling drops.

Distinctive feature Local places that attract tourists along with the rainy climate are the so-called "living bridges" from the roots of rubber trees. These bridges, thrown over rocky clefts or over small rivers, not only do not collapse over the years, but, on the contrary, become even more durable.

They are “built” as follows: they throw a light bridge of bamboo poles across the river and braid it with the roots of rubber trees. A year or two later, the bamboo humid climate completely rots, but the roots braiding it during this time are strengthened and grow thanks to generous rain watering.

Further maintenance of the bridge consists in periodic trimming of the roots, which every year strengthen the light hanging structure more and more.

Cherrapuji is a competitor of Mawsynrem

A few years ago, the city of Cherrapudzhi, which is located about two dozen kilometers from Mawsynrem, was considered the wettest place on Earth. Its climate practically does not differ from that described above, but through careful measurements, it was found that the annual rainfall of Cherrapuja is only 11430 mm per year.


The glory of the wettest place on the planet left this Indian city, but the previously installed billboard remained as a keepsake for its inhabitants. By the way, at the end of the monsoon period, a real drought sets in in these places, since rains at this time are extremely rare, which is why mountain rivers, fed by precipitation, almost completely dry up.

The village of Tutunedo is another "pole of rains"

AT South America the rainiest place is the Colombian village of Tutunedo, which receives 11,770 mm of precipitation per year.


No more than a thousand people live here, and it rains almost continuously throughout the year. The driest months are February and March - the number of rainy days at this time does not exceed twenty per month.

Kroll River - the absolute record holder

The vicinity of the Croll River, which flows in New Zealand and flows into the Tasman Sea, is also difficult to call an area with good climate. On average, about 11520 mm falls here during the year.


high humidity contributes to the mountainous terrain, among which the riverbed is laid. But it was by no means famous for its turbulent course. It was here that in 1997-98 a humidity record was recorded: as much as 18,413 mm of precipitation fell during the year.

Image copyright Alamy Image caption "Wettest place in the world" It's hard to disagree, isn't it?

When asked where the wettest place on Earth is, smart people can smugly answer that in the Mariana Trench.

Yes, in the western part Pacific Ocean, in the deepest place on our planet, where over 10,000 meters of water column overhead, it is really wet. But if we are discussing the dampest place on earth on the planet, the answer may be more difficult, the correspondent notes.

Currently, the Guinness Book of Records gives the palm to the village of Mosinram in India. Moisture brought from the Bay of Bengal, from the northeast of the Indian Ocean, collects over a plateau at an altitude of more than 1491 m, in the Eastern Khasi Mountains, from where the plains of Bangladesh are visible.

The consequence of such condensation is an amazing average amount of precipitation per year - more than 11871 mm. The tallest monument in the world, the 30-meter statue of Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro would be knee-deep in water in such rains.

It is not surprising that this region has lush vegetation, many waterfalls and bizarre caves carved by water in limestone.

A little over 10 km to the east on the slopes of the Assam Mountains is the town of Cherrapunji, traditionally called Sohra by the locals, which is known as the second rainiest place on the planet.

He is inferior to Moshinram in average annual quantity rains only 100 mm, but he has enough other titles and records. It was here that the rainiest month and the rainiest year on record were recorded.

In July 1861, precipitation here amounted to 9300 mm. Since August last year, Cherrapunji has held the record for total annual rainfall of 26,470mm.

Both of these are extremely rainy settlements are located in the state of Meghalaya, whose name translates as the abode of the clouds.

Locals always carry with them unusual huge umbrellas woven from reeds, called "knups".

They cover the entire body from the rain, allowing the wearer to go about their daily activities, mainly repairing rain-eroded roads and buildings. Or go for food.

Farming in the region is not possible due to heavy rains, so products brought in from less rainy places are sold in covered markets under waterproof awnings.

Another significant problem is the maintenance of bridges in wet conditions. tropical jungle where traditional building materials rot very quickly. Local residents have found an ingenious solution - to connect thin tree roots with each other. The bridge consists of a bamboo frame, which is tied with the roots of rubber trees.

After 6-8 years, the bamboo rots, and there remains a "living bridge" of roots that are already able to withstand the weight of a person. Over time, such a structure only strengthens and perfectly withstands bad weather.

Indian rubber trees Ficuselastica) distinguished by strong flexible secondary roots growing from the trunk of the tree.

Locals throw hollowed-out betel trunks across streams and rivers, using them as guiding supports for thin rubber roots.

As soon as the roots reach the soil on the other side, they begin to harden and strengthen.

It takes about ten years to create a living bridge, but then such structures can serve for centuries. The oldest bridge in the region is known to be over 500 years old.

While settlements in the Khasi Mountains hold the historical record for rainfall, there have been recent speculations that the rainiest place in the world may not be there at all.

There are two main contenders, both in Colombia. However, technically they cannot be compared with the Indian champions.

Lloro is a city in northwestern Colombia, in the province of Choco. On a farm near the city, the average annual rainfall recorded between 1952 and 1954 was 13,473 mm.

This is much higher than at Moshinram, but the measurements were made with outdated instruments and therefore cannot claim an officially recognized record.

Meteorological historian Christopher S. Burt argues that another city on the other side of the Andes could also boast record rainfall.

"In fact, the wettest place on Earth is Puerto Lopez in Colombia, which averages 12,892mm of rain per year," he says.

But Burt points out that, despite a steady record of 50 years of rainfall in the area, there is a lack of data for several months in the middle of this period.

This means that precipitation data for Puerto Lopez are considered intermittent and cannot be compared with other areas of the world that have 30 years of continuous records.

"Despite this, because the records are so long and there are so many years without missing data, I can confidently say that Puerto Lopez usually receives more precipitation on average per year than Mosinram," Burt said.

This Colombian city is damp all year round due to its location in the foothills of the Northern Andes, stretching along the country's western coast.

“Here, tropical moisture from the Pacific Ocean is constantly entering the surf zone ... mountains block this flow, and as a result, it rains almost constantly over Puerto Lopez. I think an average of 320 days a year it's raining. Precipitation is more or less evenly distributed throughout the year," Burt explains.

Opinions differ about the average value of precipitation and the likelihood of getting wet in the rain. For example, you will get wet in Mosinram with success, but it is even more likely that you will leave Puerto Lopez in squelching boots.

Until recently, the record for the wettest two-day period was held by Reunion Island in the Indian Ocean, where a tropical cyclone swept through. The question arose: is Reunion the sole champion in such a single meteorological phenomenon?

In the spring of 2014, a panel of experts from the World Meteorological Organization concluded that the two-day record for rainy weather belongs to Cherrapunji, where on June 15-16, 1995, a stunning 2493 mm of precipitation was recorded.

This brings us back to the state of Meghalaya, which earned its reputation as a rainy region thanks to its legendary monsoons. This is the prevailing seasonal wind rose, bringing annual extreme precipitation as rain to South and Southeast Asia.

Due to the monsoons, almost 90% of Mosinram's record annual rainfall can fall within half a year, from May to October. The rainiest month is July with its record 3500 mm.

But in dry winter months Very little rain falls from December to February.

And when locals experience a shortage of drinking water, the title of the wettest place on Earth sounds like a mocking paradox.

areas. Despite this, the various places in Europe vary greatly. There are parts of the continent that have drier weather throughout the year, as well as those where the climate is more humid.

So, for example, in the southwestern parts and in the Seville region, the climate is so dry that in some places the landscape looks like a desert.

The same situation is in the region of Murcia and Alicante in southeastern Spain. A similar situation is observed in parts of southwestern Ukraine, which are known for their dry climates and steppe landscapes.

What are the rainiest places in Europe?

4. Dalmatian coast.

Most likely you will be surprised by the fact that one of the rainiest places in Europe is not located on the very Mediterranean coast.

Here, the Dinaric Mountains and the most southwestern slopes of the Alps form a mountain barrier that is difficult to overcome. It stops the wet coming from the west air masses and does not allow them to invade over the rest of the Balkan Peninsula.

Usually rain systems are created over the Atlantic Ocean, but most importantly, the role played by the waters of the Mediterranean and Adriatic seas.

This is an exceptionally beautiful and picturesque part of Europe, where, however, huge amounts of precipitation fall every year. This can cause floods and other unpleasant consequences.

The amount of precipitation reaches and sometimes exceeds 3000 mm, but of course they can vary from year to year.

This part of Europe includes the southern parts and extreme northern regions.

2. West Coast Norway.

There are places here that, according to statistics, receive more than 3000 mm. rainfall per year, making this part of Europe one of the rainiest places on the continent.

Despite this, it is believed that at certain times of the year, precipitation here can reach a record 6000 mm, which cannot be said about other parts of Europe.

The number of days with precipitation during the year can reach a record 250, and precipitation is intense and quite frequent.

Here the chance of rain is huge, so if you visit the western parts of Scotland it is better not to leave the hotel or house where you are staying without an umbrella.

Precipitation is most significant in autumn and at the beginning of the winter season. If you have to name the rainiest place in Scotland, then this is the Glen Etive Plateau.

This area is exceptionally beautiful and attractive for tourism. Despite the harsh climate, the scenery here is breathtaking.