1. Mausinram India
If you are not happy with the arrival of autumn due to the fact that there are months of rains and slush ahead, do not rush to be sad. Compared to some places on our planet, the city of St. Petersburg could become famous for being dry and sunny. Today we want to tell you about the rainiest corners of our planet, which have become special precisely because of the unbridled nature!
The rainiest country in the world can be safely called India, because the first two lines of the rating in terms of annual precipitation are occupied by its cities. The leader is the small alpine village of Mausinram. According to the Guinness Book of Records, 11,871 mm of precipitation falls there per year, and this is an almost completely flooded five-story building. Of course, not all of them happen at once, but for comparison, in the rainiest city in Russia – Severo-Kurilsk – there are 10 times less per year. It is worth going to Mausinram to feel the special mysticism of the fog-shrouded streets, along which strange fish seem to swim. This is exactly how the locals look in special wicker hats that save them from the rain: the traditional Asian cone-shaped hat is woven in such a way that on one side it covers the head, and on the other – the back, and resembles half a pistachio shell in shape.
2. Cherrapunji, India
Literally 10 km from the record holder, there is a city that occupies the second line of the rating – Cherrapunji. There is only slightly less precipitation, 11,777 mm per year. The symbol and main attraction of the city is an unusual invention of local residents – living bridges. The fact is that ordinary bamboo in such a humid climate quickly deteriorate; as a result, the Indians came up with the idea of throwing the roots of a rubber tree over rivers and ravines. Rather, first they build a bamboo bridge, over which they then put young adventitious roots. After the roots “reach” the opposite bank, they grow into the ground. By the time the barbuk is completely wet and unusable, the living crossbars form a solid structure. Such a bridge “grows” for about ten years, but then it serves a hundred.
3. Tutunendo, Colombia
The third rainiest place is taken by the village of Tutunendo, which is located in western Colombia in the Choco highlands. In this small settlement, an average of 11 770 mm of water falls annually, and in 1974 an absolute record for our planet was recorded – 26 303 mm. Nevertheless, the weather does not scare away, but rather attracts tourists. The fact is that it rains here mainly at night, and during the day you can endlessly walk along the mountains buried in greenery, raft along the rivers and swim in waterfalls. Air humidity in the region tends to 100%, so the nearest city of Quibdo bears the title of the wettest city in the world.
4. River Cropp, New Zealand
The next rainiest place on earth is in the highlands of New Zealand’s South Island. The nearest town is Hokitika, located on the coast, from which you can go on a tour to the nine-kilometer section of the Kropp River. 11 516 mm of precipitation per year brought the highest line of the rating to this place. In December 1995, a New Zealand record was recorded here – 1,049 mm of rain fell in 48 hours. It’s worth coming here for the sake of nature. The deep rivers of this region flow through picturesque canyons: the purest blue water is literally illuminated by white rocks and reflects overhanging trees.
5. Bioko Island, Equatorial Guinea
The title of the wettest place in Africa went to the region, which is actually separated from the continent by a rather wide strait. The island of Bioko receives 10,450 mm of precipitation per year, which makes its nature incredibly rich and varied. This small volcanic island boasts stunning black sand beaches and equally beautiful golden coral reefs. There are jungles and waterfalls, high rocky cliffs and a huge lake in the crater of a volcano.
6. Debundsha, Cameroon
There is also a rainy place in Africa itself. The sixth place in the ranking is occupied by the village of Debundsha in Cameroon. We are used to associating Africa with deserts and arid savannas, but near the equator on this continent it rains most of the year with a total rainfall of 10,299 mm. Again, this is due to the high mountains that hold the clouds. There is a beautiful volcanic lake not far from the village. Another attraction of the place is the cape of the same name, on which there is a lighthouse installed by the German colonialists back in 1904.
7. Big God, Hawaii
The next most rainy place on earth went to an alpine peat bog on the Hawaiian island of Maui, located on the border of Haleakala National Park. Here 10,272 mm of precipitation falls annually. Rainwater is evenly distributed along the slope of the mountain, forming a web of thin waterfalls, which tourists come to admire.
8. Waialeale, Hawaii
On the neighboring island of Kuai there is an extinct volcano, which is only slightly inferior to the previous line of the rating in terms of precipitation – 9,763 mm falls annually. The peculiarity of this alpine plateau is that it rains there not with showers, but with fine drizzle, which is why the top of the volcano is often shrouded in fog. But when the clouds dissipate a little, the brightest rainbows light up in the sky, which have become the symbol of the Hawaiian Islands and flaunt on the license plates of Aloha state cars.
9. Kukui, Hawaii
Hawaii has featured in the top 10 rainiest places on the planet three times, with Mount Kukui on Maui in ninth place. 9,293 mm of precipitation per year makes the soil marshy, so for trekking there are special wooden paths that rise above the ground. The scenic path runs along ridges, through meadows and through a forest overgrown with moss.
10. Emeishan, China
Closes the ten wettest places in the “abode of clouds” in Sichuan. Mount Emeishan is the highest of the four sacred Buddhist mountains in China. And also the wettest region of the country, where 8,169 mm of precipitation falls annually. A magnificent temple and a golden statue of Buddha sitting on elephants seem to soar above the clouds, and lush green forests stretch down the slope. Local residents call this place the quietest on earth, and the frequent noise of rain only emphasizes the peaceful atmosphere.
All these territories, although they are located far from each other, on different continents, actually have a lot in common geographically. These are high mountains in close proximity to the ocean and the equator. The hot tropical sun evaporates moisture from the surface of the ocean, the mountains slow down the movement of moist air masses, forcing them to gather in abundant clouds and rain down on the slopes. The warm climate and the abundance of greenery break the stereotype that rain is dull. On the contrary, here he clearly shows that nature is beautiful in all its manifestations.