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Some Unique Places - Unique Weather: Mawsynram and Rainfall

Grade 5CBSE

Review the key concepts, formulae, and examples before starting your quiz.

🔑Concepts

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Mawsynram is a village located in the East Khasi Hills district of Meghalaya, India. It is officially recognized as the wettest place on Earth.

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The extreme rainfall in Mawsynram is primarily due to its geographical location. It is surrounded by the Khasi Hills which are funnel-shaped. When moisture-laden winds from the Bay of Bengal hit these hills, they are forced to rise rapidly.

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As the moist air rises, it cools down and undergoes condensation, leading to heavy and continuous rainfall. This process is known as orographic or relief rainfall.

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Rainfall is measured using an instrument called a 'Rain Gauge'. The standard unit of measurement for rainfall is millimeters (mmmm) or centimeters (cmcm).

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On average, Mawsynram receives an annual rainfall of about 11,872 mm11,872 \text{ mm}. To put this in perspective, most cities receive less than 1,000 mm1,000 \text{ mm} to 1,500 mm1,500 \text{ mm} per year.

📐Formulae

1 cm=10 mm1 \text{ cm} = 10 \text{ mm}

Average Annual Rainfall=Total Rainfall in a Year12 months\text{Average Annual Rainfall} = \frac{\text{Total Rainfall in a Year}}{12 \text{ months}}

Total Rainfall=∑Daily Rainfall values\text{Total Rainfall} = \sum \text{Daily Rainfall values}

💡Examples

Problem 1:

If Mawsynram receives 11,872 mm11,872 \text{ mm} of rain in a year, convert this measurement into centimeters (cmcm).

Solution:

To convert millimeters to centimeters, we divide by 1010: 11872 mm10=1187.2 cm\frac{11872 \text{ mm}}{10} = 1187.2 \text{ cm}

Explanation:

Since 1 cm=10 mm1 \text{ cm} = 10 \text{ mm}, dividing the total millimeters by 1010 gives the value in centimeters.

Problem 2:

Calculate the total rainfall for a small village near Mawsynram if it received the following rainfall over three days: Day 1: 150 mm150 \text{ mm}, Day 2: 225 mm225 \text{ mm}, Day 3: 180 mm180 \text{ mm}.

Solution:

150225+180555\begin{array}{r} 150 \\ 225 \\ + 180 \\ \hline 555 \end{array} Total rainfall = 555 mm555 \text{ mm}.

Explanation:

To find the total rainfall over a period, we add the individual daily rainfall measurements together.

Problem 3:

A dry region in Rajasthan receives only 15 cm15 \text{ cm} of rain in a year. How much more rain (in cmcm) does Mawsynram receive if its average is 1,187 cm1,187 \text{ cm}?

Solution:

1187−151172\begin{array}{r} 1187 \\ - 15 \\ \hline 1172 \end{array} Mawsynram receives 1,172 cm1,172 \text{ cm} more rain.

Explanation:

By subtracting the lower rainfall value of the dry region from the high rainfall value of Mawsynram, we find the difference in precipitation.