The process by which condensed water vapour falls on the surface of the Earth in various forms such as rainfall, snowfall, and hail is known as precipitation. Various Types of Precipitation are
Types of Precipitation
Rain: It is the most common form of precipitation. The droplet of water that precipitates from clouds is known as rainfall.
Frost: When the temperature falls below the freezing point, i.e. 0°C, water vapour present on various surfaces such as leaves, rocks, or grass freezes into crystals of ice known as frost.
Dew: The small droplets of water that are formed on cool surfaces during the nights or early morning when the water vapour in the atmosphere condenses is known as dew.
Mist: It is the small droplets of water suspended in the air near the surface of the Earth. It is not as dense as fog.
Fog: It is a thick cloud of small droplets of water suspended in the air near the surface of the Earth. Fog can also be a dense layer of mist.
Smog: It is a mixture of fog, smoke, and dust particles. Smog is formed generally in industrial regions.
Hail: When solid pieces of ice fall onto the surface of the Earth, it is known as hail.
Sleet: The mixture of rain and ice is known as sleet.
Rainfall is measured by an instrument known as Rain Gauge. It is a large metal cylinder. A funnel is fitted on the top of a glass bottle kept in the cylinder. The cylinder is placed above the level of the funnel to ensure that the rain is not splashed out of the funnel. Snowfall is measured on the basis of the thickness of snow.
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