What is frontal rainfall?

Frontal rain occurs when two air masses meet. When a warm air mass meets a cold air mass, they don’t mix as they have different densities (a bit like oil and water). Instead, the warm less dense air is pushed up over the cold dense air creating the ‘front’.

Why is it called frontal rainfall?

Frontal rainfall When a cold polar air mass meets a warm tropical air mass they do not mix – they form fronts. The colder air mass is heavier than the warmer air mass, therefore the lighter, warmer air rises over the top of the heavier, colder air. As the warm air is forced to rise it cools.

Where does frontal rainfall occur?

Frontal Rainfall This rainfall occurs when a warm, tropical air mass comes in contact with a cold, polar air mass. It is very common in Britain and Ireland. Because the air is in the warm front, then it rises over the cold front.

What are the stages of frontal rainfall?

What is frontal rainfall?

• Stage 1. An area of warm air meets an area of cold air.
• Stage 2. The warm air is forced over the cold air.
• Stage 3. Where the air meets the warm air is cooled and water vapour condenses.
• Stage 4. Clouds form and precipitation occurs.

What are the 4 types of rainfall?

The different types of precipitation are:

• Rain. Most commonly observed, drops larger than drizzle (0.02 inch / 0.5 mm or more) are considered rain.
• Drizzle. Fairly uniform precipitation composed exclusively of fine drops very close together.
• Ice Pellets (Sleet)
• Hail.
• Small Hail (Snow Pellets)
• Snow.
• Snow Grains.
• Ice Crystals.

What is convection rainfall?

Convectional rainfall is a type of rainfall that involves the formation of convection currents. This rainfall occurs when the temperature gets high and the warmer air rises up in the atmosphere. On expansion, this air cools down and clouds are formed, which are generally cumulus clouds.

How does Convectional rainfall occur?

Convectional rainfall occurs when the energy of the sun heats the surface of the Earth, causing water to evaporate to form water vapour. When the land heats up, it warms the air above it. This causes the air to expand and rise. As the air rises, it cools and condenses.

What are the 3 types of rain?

There are three different types of rainfall:

• relief.
• convectional.
• frontal.

Which type of rain is frontal rain?

Frontal rainfall occurs when a warm front meets a cold front. The heavier cold air sinks to the ground and the warm air rises above it. When the warm air rises, it cools. The cooler air condenses and form clouds.

What are the 5 steps leading up to rain?

They are evaporation, condensation, precipitation and collection. Let’s look at each of these stages.

What is orographic rain?

Orographic precipitation, rain, snow, or other precipitation produced when moist air is lifted as it moves over a mountain range. Very heavy precipitation typically occurs upwind of a prominent mountain range that is oriented across a prevailing wind from a warm ocean.

What is a heavy downpour of rain called?

Definitions of downpour. a heavy rain. synonyms: cloudburst, deluge, pelter, soaker, torrent, waterspout.

What are the different types of rainfall?

There are three major types of rainfall, namely convectional rainfall, relief rainfall and frontal rainfall. Convective precipitation is much greater in intensity but lasts for shorter periods as compared to frontal rainfalls.

What is frontal rain?

Frontal rainfall is a type of precipitation that is common in the UK, which occurs when a warm air mass and a cold air mass meet.

What are three types of precipitation?

The five major types of precipitation are rain, snow, sleet, hail, and freezing rain. Rarer forms include graupel (ice attached to snow, or “soft hail”) and ground ice (also known as “ice needles” or “diamond dust”), which is ground-level condensation of ice crystals, with or without an associated fog cloud.

What is convective precipitation?

Convective precipitation: Definition. It is due to the upward movement of warm air. Generally this type of precipitation occurs in tropical region, where in hot days, the ground surface is heated unequally, and causing the warmer air to lift up as the colder air comes to take its place.