Ask Tom: Are there definitions for downpour, drizzle or light, steady, heavy rain? (2024)

Dear Tom,

Do meteorologists have specific definitions for drizzle, light rain, steady rain, heavy rain, downpour?

— Rick Steffen, Arlington Heights

Dear Rick,

Rain: Precipitation in the form of liquid water drops that have diameters greater than 0.5 millimeter; if less than 0.5 millimeter, it is drizzle. Rain and drizzle are the only forms of liquid precipitation. Rain is classified as light, meaning rain falling at a rate between a trace and 0.10 inch per hour; moderate, 0.11 to 0.30 inch per hour; heavy, more than 0.30 inch per hour. Drizzle is classified as light, falling at a rate from a trace to 0.01 inch per hour; moderate, 0.01 to 0.02 inch per hour; heavy, greater than 0.02 inch per hour. Other terms such as steady rain and downpour are informal and do not carry meteorological definitions. Showers of precipitation are characterized by the suddenness with which they start and stop, and by rapid changes in intensity.

Ask Tom: Are there definitions for downpour, drizzle or light, steady, heavy rain? (2024)

FAQs

Ask Tom: Are there definitions for downpour, drizzle or light, steady, heavy rain? ›

Drizzle is classified as light, falling at a rate from a trace to 0.01 inch per hour; moderate, 0.01 to 0.02 inch per hour; heavy, greater than 0.02 inch per hour. Other terms such as steady rain and downpour are informal and do not carry meteorological definitions.

What is the definition of heavy rain? ›

A heavy rain event can be defined for the Memphis CWA as one that produces rainfall of three inches or greater in a twelve hour period or less at two or more selected stations, or six inches or more in a twelve hour period or less at a single station.

What does drizzle mean in rain? ›

Drizzle is a light precipitation which consists of liquid water drops that are smaller than those of rain – generally smaller than 0.5 mm (0.02 in) in diameter. Drizzle is normally produced by low stratiform clouds and stratocumulus clouds.

What's the difference between drizzle a shower a downpour the heavens opening and heavy rain? ›

Drizzle is fine light rain. A shower is a short period of rain. A downpour or a cloudburst is a heavy fall of rain that often starts suddenly. When it is raining very hard, you can say that it is pouring.

What is the definition of rainfall? ›

Definition: Rainfall is a measurement of how much water falls as rain in a certain period of time, for example, a week or a month. Rainfall is measured by collecting rain water across different areas and times, as the amounts may differ between locations and times.

What is a light rain called? ›

Drizzle is light rain falling in fine drops. The drizzle had now stopped and the sun was breaking through. Synonyms: fine rain, spray, Scotch mist, mizzle More Synonyms of drizzle. 2.

What is light rain vs heavy? ›

Light rain — when the precipitation rate is < 2.5 mm (0.098 in) per hour. Moderate rain — when the precipitation rate is between 2.5 mm (0.098 in) – 7.6 mm (0.30 in) or 10 mm (0.39 in) per hour. Heavy rain — when the precipitation rate is > 7.6 mm (0.30 in) per hour, or between 10 mm (0.39 in) and 50 mm (2.0 in) per ...

What is light drizzle? ›

Definitions of drizzle. very light rain; stronger than mist but less than a shower.

What is a heavy drizzle? ›

Drizzle is defined as water drops with diameters less than 0.02 inches. That's very small. Mist water drops are so tiny they remain suspended in the atmosphere. Heavy drizzle occurs when visibility is less than one-fourth of a mile.

Which is heavier light rain or drizzle? ›

A light rain in my view is a steady, continuous drops of rainwater which is very light in nature that may last the whole day. A drizzle on the other hand while most of the time can slightly be heavier than a lightrain may only last momentarily like an hour or so, maybe less..

What do British people say when its raining? ›

Raining cats and dogs

A heavy, drenching rain. We might also use the words torrent, deluge or downpour to describe this type of apocalyptic precipitation. The origins of this 17th Century phrase are unknown.

What do British people call light rain? ›

'Drizzle' means light rain to Brits, often when it's raining but barely noticeable.

What are the 3 main types of rainfall? ›

The three types of rainfall are:
  • Convectional rainfall.
  • Orographic rainfall (also known as relief rainfall)
  • Cyclonic rainfall (also known as frontal rainfall)

What does 80% rainfall mean? ›

An “80% chance of rain” means an 80% chance that rain will fall somewhere within the forecasted area. Rain refers to 0.01 inch or more.

What is the full form of rain? ›

A reliable array of independent nodes (RAIN) is a heterogeneous cluster of compute and storage nodes connected in a fault-tolerant network topology that incorporates multiple interfaces and redundant hardware.

Is 0.02 inches of rain a lot? ›

A steady, fairly hard rain is about an inch per hour. An hour is 60 minutes or 3600 seconds. Therefore, 0.02 inch of rain would be a fairly strong rain that lasts for 0.02 of an hour.

Is 1 inch of rain a lot in a day? ›

One (1.00) inch of rain – A light moderate rain never reaches this amount, heavy rain for several hours (2-5 hours). There would be deep standing water for long periods of time.

Is 0.6 inches of rain a lot? ›

Moderate rain is a step up from light rain and is typically between 0.3 to 0.6 inches of rain per hour.

What is a very heavy rain called? ›

Definitions of downpour. a heavy rain. synonyms: cloudburst, deluge, pelter, soaker, torrent, waterspout. type of: rain, rainfall. water falling in drops from vapor condensed in the atmosphere.

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