March 16, 2010

Anniversary of Greatest Rainfall in 24 Hours – 1952

On this date in 1952, a record was set for most rainfall in 24 hours.

The “lucky” recipient of such bounty? Reunion Island in the Indian Ocean, which received 73.6 inches or 1869.9 mm of rain in just one day!

Yikes!

Translate that to feet or centimeters/meters to fully grasp just how much rain that is!

Reunion Island is shown here, at left.









Here is another photo of Reunion Island plus info on several extreme weather records.


Is it raining today?
Here are some activities to do in the rain. Here are more (you don't want to miss racing Gators in the Gutters, do you?

Learn about rain, courtesy of the Weather Dude.

Make a rain gauge.

Rain is just one part of the Water Cycle. Learn more about the water cycle here.

If you live in the U.S., check out the Precipitation Analysis website. You can see how much rainfall has fallen in the last week, month, and year (see scroll bar in lower left corner) for the whole U.S. or, close-up, just your state, plus see the percentage above or below normal, plus more.

Write a poem about rain.
First, read these poems for inspiration:

Spring Rain
by Matsuo Basho

Spring rain
leaking through the roof
dripping from the wasps' nest.

Morning Rain
by Tu Fu

A slight rain comes,
bathed in dawn light.
I hear it among treetop leaves before mist
Arrives. Soon it sprinkles the soil and,
Windblown, follows clouds away. Deepened

Colors grace thatch homes for a moment.
Flocks and herds of things wild glisten
Faintly. Then the scent of musk opens across
Half a mountain -- and lingers on past noon.

Rain
by Shel Silverstein

I opened my eyes
And looked up at the rain,
And it dripped in my head
And flowed into my brain,
And all that I hear as I lie in my bed
Is the slishity-slosh of the rain in my head.

I step very softly,
I walk very slow,
I can't do a handstand--
I might overflow,
So pardon the wild crazy thing I just said--
I'm just not the same since there's rain in my head.