Rain, rain, go away…
Right?
Well, maybe not!
There are many benefits that rain provides us — in fact, we’re going to look at 5 reasons we all should welcome rain!
5 Reasons To Love Rain
It’s true, rain has ruined many a picnic. And rain has been responsible for countless severe floods and mudslides.
But, beyond that, rain offers the world countless benefits. Here’s a look at 5…
Rain Irrigates Crops & Gardens
It seems there’s never enough water to go around when it comes to irrigating the world’s crops — but that’s exactly where rain steps in to the game and provides nourishing water.
Rain is essential to maintaining the world’s crops so there’s enough food to go around.
Of course, some types of crops demand more water than others, and that’s why understanding climatology is so important. Based on long-term rainfall trends, farmers and agriculturalists can find out what types of crops grow best in their region.
In drought-swept regions of the world, water is gold. As climate change affects annual rainfall patterns in various parts of the world, it’ll become all the more important to adapt cropping habits to the changing precipitation expectations.
Rain Can Be For Filling Cisterns
If you’re a gardener, you likely appreciate the importance of having a cistern for watering your garden. A cistern — a tank used for collecting rainwater for gardening purposes — is a great way to save on municipal water costs and conserving potable water; rain water you collect in a garden cistern is generally non-potable.
Cisterns are usually situated to collect rain runoff from roofs, and therefore a network of gutters and downspouts for directing runoff water to the tank.
Cisterns come in various sizes. You’ll need to consider what your water usage needs are, and you’ll also have to consider the cost and space required to purchase and install a cistern.
Rain Sculpts Landscapes
Erosion is a vital part of creating and sculpting landscapes and topography — and rain is an important part of that process.
Rain has been shaping landforms for hundreds of millions of years. From carving river beds to softening jagged edges on rock formations, rain slowly but surely leaves its calling card on just about every earthly surface we see.
Of course, rain doesn’t always take eons to leave its impacts in a process that usually take countless years to see noticeable differences…
- Mudslides can, overnight, drastically change the appearance of a landscape.
- Flash floods can sculpt prairies, meadows, and deserts.
- Heavy rains can quickly raise river levels and reshape river banks.
Rain Can Wash The Atmosphere
Pollution can quickly build up in the lower atmosphere near cities and towns. The brown streak in any metropolitan area sky is a telltale sign that dirt, smut, and debris in the atmosphere has accumulated to heavy levels.
Rain can rid the sky (if only temporarily) of pollution and oher debris hanging in the air.
There is one downside to this cleansing system, though. When rain falls over polluted metropolitan areas, it often means an acid rain.
Acid rain is rain that contains corrosive, damaging pollutants it dragged down from the sky. Acid rain can eat away at buildings and statues and is too unclean to drink.
Rain Parties
Ah, yes — the rain party. When a sun shower is afoot and lightning, thunder, high winds, and hail are at bay, a rain party is a wonderfully fun and refreshing way to enjoy the rain!
Rain parties are great way for kids to burn some energy outdoors (mommies and daddies can enjoy rain parties with their children, too!).
Here are some tips for throwing a rain party:
- Wait to enjoy a rain party until at least 30 minutes after the last lighting strike or thunder clap.
- Make sure the kids are wearing water-safe clothing: bathing suits and flip flops are appropriate rain party attire — leather sneakers and deep-colored casual clothing not so much!
- A gentle rain is perfect for a rain party; rain parties in heavy downpours, however, are ripe to make a sloppy, muddy mess of your yard — and kids.
- Introduce water-safe sporting equipment to the fun; playing kickball in the rain, for example, can be a fun summer-afternoon memory your kids will never forget.
- Make sure none of your kids has a medical condition that will be worsened by exposure to the rain.
I'm a weather geek from Florida who's been studying meteorology and watching weather patterns for years! I enjoy sharing little-known facts and fun stuff about the weather. I especially like sharing interesting details about weather events and conditions that can affect you… and how to prepare for Mother Nature's ever-changing weather patterns.
