PRECIPITATION

 It denotes all forms of water that reach the earth from the atmosphere.
 The process of separating a solid substance from a liquid.

INTRODUCTION

It gives to familiarize the engineer with the importants aspects of rainfall in particular to
the collection and analysis of rainfall data.

FORMS OF PRECIPITATIONS

The usual forms are rainfall, snowfall, sleet, and hail but only the first two forms can
contribute a significant amounts of water.

Rainfall – The term rainfall is used to describe precipitations in the form of water drops of sizes
larger than 0.5 mm and the maximum size of a raindrop is about 6 mm.

Rainfall can be classified by its intensity basis.

Snowfall – Snow is another important form of precipitation. Snow consists of ice crystals which
usually combine to form flakes. When fresh, snow has an initial density varying from 0.06 to
0.15 g/cm3 and it is usual to assume an average density of 0.1 g/cm3.

Sleet – It is frozen raindrops of transparent grains which form when rain falls through air at
subfreezing temperature.

Hail – It is a showery precipitation in the form of irregular pellets or lumps of ice of size more
than 8 mm. Hails occur in violent thunderstorms in which vertical currents are very strong.

WEATHER SYSTEMS FOR PRECIPITATION

For the formation of clouds and subsequent precipitation, it is necessary that the moist air masses
cool to form condensation. This is normally accomplished by adiabatic cooling of moist air
through a process of being lifted to higher altitudes. Some of the terms and processes connected
with the weather systems associated with precipitation are given below.

TYPHOONS - These disaster types refer to a large scale closed circulation system in the
atmosphere which combines low pressure and strong winds that rotate counter clockwise in the
northern hemisphere and clockwise in the southern hemisphere.

Hurricanes, cyclones, and typhoons are all the same weather phenomenon; we just use
different names for these storms in different places.

 In the Atlantic and Northeast Pacific, the term “hurricane” is used.

 In the Northwest Pacific is called a “typhoon” , and
 “Cyclones” occur in the South Pacific and Indian Ocean.

Typhoon form when there is warm water, the temperature should be 25.6 degree celcius.it
will heat up the warm ocean and the air above it the warm air then rises.

As a result in low pressure area the water vapour condenses and heat is given off .the heat
makes the air rise even more. In the surroundings will keep coming in the air starts to spin and
the typhoon will form. Generally the end of the typhoon is northwest.

THREE TYPES OF PRECIPITATION

There are different kinds of precipitation: (1) convectional, (2) orographic and (3)
cyclonic.

Convectional Precipitation - results from the heating of the earth's surface.

 The warm ground heats the air over it. As the air warms, the air molecules begin
to move further apart. With increased distance between molecules, the molecules
are less densely packed. Thus, the air becomes “lighter” and rises rapidly into the
atmosphere. As the air rises, it cools. Water vapour in the air condenses into
clouds and precipitation.

Orographic Precipitation - results when warm moist air moving across the ocean is forced to
rise by large mountains.
Cyclonic or Frontal Precipitation - results when the leading edge of a warm, moist air mass
(warm front) meets a cool and dry air mass (cold front).

 The molecules in the cold air are more tightly packed together (i.e., more dense),
and thus, the cold air is heavier than the warm air.
 The warmer air mass is forced up over the cool air. As it rises, the warm air cools,
the water vapour in the air condenses, and clouds and precipitation result. This
precipitation is common in Atlantic Canada.
 This type of system is called Frontal Precipitation because the moisture tends to
occur along the front of the air mass.