5 Types of Rainfall
Depending on the different atmospheric conditions, rainfall may be of the following types:
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| Types of Rainfall |
1. Cyclonic Rainfall
This type of rainfall is caused by the difference of pressure within the air mass on the earth’s surface. If low pressure is generated somewhere, warm moist air rushes with violent forces from the adjacent area to the low-pressure zone.
The heated moist air rises up with the circular motion and gets condensed at the higher altitude, and finally, heavy rainfall occurs.
2. Frontal Rainfall
It is a type of cyclonic rainfall. When the moving warm moist air mass is blocked by the zone of the cold air mass, the warm moist air rises up (as it is lighter than cold air mass) to a higher altitude where it gets cooled adiabatically to form a cloud and ultimately heavy rainfall occurs.
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| Frontal Rainfall |
3. Non-frontal rainfall
It is also a kind of cyclonic rainfall. When a mass of warm moist air rushes from the surrounding zone to the lower pressure zone, a pocket is formed, and the warm moist air rises to a higher altitude like a chimney.
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| Non-frontal rainfall |
At higher altitudes, it gets cooled adiabatically to form a cloud. Rainfall caused by such clouds is known as non-frontal rainfall.
4. Convective Rainfall
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| Convective Rainfall |
Thus, at high altitude, the warm, moist air mass condenses and causes heavy rainfall. This is called convective rainfall.
5. Orographic Rainfall
When the moving warm moist air is barred by some mountain, then it rises up to a high altitude along the mountain slope.
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| Orographic Rainfall |
At the high altitude, it gets condensed and heavy rainfall occurs. This type of rainfall is called orographic rainfall.
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