Question

Convectional rainfall is also called 4'0 clock rain.

Give a geographical reason for the following:

Convectional rainfall is called 4 o'clock rainfall.

Answer 1

1. In the equatorial regions, convectional rainfall is received almost daily in the afternoon.
2. It generally happens regularly at 4 p.m. throughout the year.
3. For this reason it is called 4’o clock rainfall.
4. This type of rain is common in the hot and wet tropical rain forests of Central Africa, Amazon basin of South America and the islands of South east Asia.
5. Continuous heating of the earth in the day causes hot convectional currents to raise. Water keeps on evaporating and rising up.
6. On reaching the upper layers of the atmosphere they cool, condense and form cumulo¬nimbus clouds.
7. In the late afternoon the clouds burst into a heavy downpour often accompanied by thunder and lightning.
8. It usually occurs at about 4 p.m, so convectional rain is called 4 o’clock rain and occurs daily in the equatorial regions.