What is Convectional Rainfall?
By BYJU'S Exam Prep
Updated on: November 9th, 2023
Convectional rainfall is a kind of rainfall that occurs when the heated air from the surface rises along with the water vapour and gets condensed after reaching a higher altitude. The rain falls in the same location because the cloud carrying these vapours is not carried away by the wind. Convectional rainfall only happens in the equatorial calm belt because of this.
Table of content
Define Conventional Rainfall
Convectional rainfall is a type of rainfall that involves the formation of convection currents. It occurs mainly in the northern hemisphere, predominantly in tropical regions. Convection currents cause the air to rise upward as it becomes warmer and lighter. Thunder and lightning are frequently present during convectional rainfall, which doesn’t last for very long. In equatorial regions, it typically happens on warm summer days.
Process of Convectional Rainfall:
Following is the process that causes convectional rainfall:
- The air cools and condenses as it ascends.
- High clouds are created in the atmosphere as a result of this condensation process. It will rain if this keeps happening.
- In tropical areas (those between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn) as well as places like South East England, this type of precipitation is common on hot, sunny days.
- In regions where the ground is strongly heated by sunlight, such as the tropics, convective rainfall is common.
- This explains why it rains heavily throughout the afternoon in places like the Amazon rainforest.
Summary:
What is Convectional Rainfall?
The type of rainfall that occurs when the heated air from the earth’s surface rises with the water vapour and condenses once it reaches a higher altitude is called Convectional rainfall. It rains in that area because the cloud carrying the vapour stays in one place.
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