Quantcast
ZME Science
  • News
  • Environment
  • Health
  • Future
  • Space
  • Features
    Menu
    Natural Sciences
    Health
    History & Humanities
    Space & Astronomy
    Technology
    Culture
    Resources
    Natural Sciences

    Physics

    • Matter and Energy
    • Quantum Mechanics
    • Thermodynamics

    Chemistry

    • Periodic Table
    • Applied Chemistry
    • Materials
    • Physical Chemistry

    Biology

    • Anatomy
    • Biochemistry
    • Ecology
    • Genetics
    • Microbiology
    • Plants and Fungi

    Geology and Paleontology

    • Planet Earth
    • Earth Dynamics
    • Rocks and Minerals
    • Volcanoes
    • Dinosaurs
    • Fossils

    Animals

    • Mammals
    • Birds
    • Fish
    • Reptiles
    • Amphibians
    • Invertebrates
    • Pets
    • Conservation
    • Animals Facts

    Climate and Weather

    • Climate Change
    • Weather and Atmosphere

    Geography

    Mathematics

    Health
    • Drugs
    • Diseases and Conditions
    • Human Body
    • Mind and Brain
    • Food and Nutrition
    • Wellness
    History & Humanities
    • Anthropology
    • Archaeology
    • Economics
    • History
    • People
    • Sociology
    Space & Astronomy
    • The Solar System
    • The Sun
    • The Moon
    • Planets
    • Asteroids, Meteors and Comets
    • Astronomy
    • Astrophysics
    • Cosmology
    • Exoplanets and Alien Life
    • Spaceflight and Exploration
    Technology
    • Computer Science & IT
    • Engineering
    • Inventions
    • Sustainability
    • Renewable Energy
    • Green Living
    Culture
    • Culture and Society
    • Bizarre Stories
    • Lifestyle
    • Art and Music
    • Gaming
    • Books
    • Movies and Shows
    Resources
    • How To
    • Science Careers
    • Metascience
    • Fringe Science
    • Science Experiments
    • School and Study
    • Natural Sciences
    • Health
    • History and Humanities
    • Space & Astronomy
    • Culture
    • Technology
    • Resources
  • Reviews
  • More
    • Agriculture
    • Anthropology
    • Biology
    • Chemistry
    • Electronics
    • Geology
    • History
    • Mathematics
    • Nanotechnology
    • Economics
    • Paleontology
    • Physics
    • Psychology
    • Robotics
  • About Us
    • About
    • The Team
    • Advertise
    • Contribute
    • Privacy Policy
    • Contact
No Result
View All Result
ZME Science

No Result
View All Result
ZME Science

Home → Features → Natural Sciences → Geography

The top 10 wettest places on Earth

If you thought your weather sucks, wait until you learn about these places.

Tibi Puiu by Tibi Puiu
May 1, 2023
in Geography, Science
Edited and reviewed by Zoe Gordon

Technically speaking, the wettest place on Earth must be the Mariana Trench which has 10,000 meters of water above it. Smug responses aside, when meteorologists class regions by ‘wetness’ what they’re mainly looking at is the annual amount of precipitation. This is measured in millimeters or inches and includes rainfall, snow, drizzle, fog — anything wet. Bearing this classification in mind, the wettest places on Earth can be ranked as follows.

Table of contents

  • 1 #10 Emei Shan, Sichuan Province, China — 8,169mm
  • 2 #9 Kukui, Maui, Hawaii — 9,293 mm
  • 3 #8 Mt Waialeale, Kuai, Hawaii — 9,763 mm
  • 4 #7 Big Bog, Maui, Hawaii – 10,272mm
  • 5 #6 Debundscha, Cameroon, Africa — 10,299mm
  • 6 #5 San Antonio de Ureca, Bioko Island, Equatorial Guinea — 10,450 mm
  • 7 #4 Cropp River, New Zealand — 11,516 mm
  • 8 #3 Tutunendo, Colombia, South, America — 11,770 mm
  • 9 #2 Cherrapunji, India — 11,777 mm
  • 10 #1 Mawsynram, India — 11,871 mm

#10 Emei Shan, Sichuan Province, China — 8,169mm

Emei shan china
Credit: Wikipedia

Éméi Shān (峨眉山; 3099m) is one of China‘s four sacred Buddhist Mountains. It’s the highest among all the famous sight-seeing mountains in China, but also the wettest place in the nation. All that rainfall doesn’t seem to disrupt the scenery one bit, though. Here trees are verdant almost all the year around and locals call it the most peaceful place on Earth.

#9 Kukui, Maui, Hawaii — 9,293 mm

Credit: Wikipedia

In March of 1942, Puu Kukui recorded nearly 2565.4 mm of rainfall, which stands as the greatest precipitation total ever recorded in one month in the United States. Puu Kukui also holds the annual rainfall record for the United States with more than 17902 mm of rain in 1982.

#8 Mt Waialeale, Kuai, Hawaii — 9,763 mm

Mount-Waialeale
Credit: Wikimedia Commons

Kuai is home to many dormant volcanoes, but Mount Waialeale plenty of flowing each year — and I don’t mean lava. The name Waialeale means “rippling water” or “overflowing water” in Hawaiian and it couldn’t be more fitting. This mountain gets more than five times the amount of rainfall of other mountain peaks on Kaua’i.

#7 Big Bog, Maui, Hawaii – 10,272mm

Big-Bog-Maui-Hawaii
Credit: Wikimedia Commons

Big Bog is a rain gauge on the edge of Haleakala National Park on Maui Island. It’s a major tourist attraction attracting thousands each year who come to see its beautiful scenery, and the wettest out of all three mountains in Hawaii included in this list.

#6 Debundscha, Cameroon, Africa — 10,299mm

debundscha, cameroon
Credit: Wikipedia

Debundscha has a very long rainy season and a very short dry season, thanks to its proximity to the equator. Behind Debundscha we can find the giant Mount Cameroon towering above. This mountain rises from the coast of the South Atlantic ocean and blocks rain forming clouds from passing. Instead, all that rain is being dumped in Debundscha.

#5 San Antonio de Ureca, Bioko Island, Equatorial Guinea — 10,450 mm

San-Antonio-de-Ureca
Credit: Wikimedia Commons

San Antonio de Ureca is located some 37 mi (or 60 km) South of Malabo, the capital of Equatorial Guinea. It is the wettest place in the Africa.

#4 Cropp River, New Zealand — 11,516 mm

Cropp_River_Westland_New_Zealand
Credit: Wikimedia Commons

Most of New Zealand’s rain falls in its mountains, but the wettest place in the country is the Cropp River in the Hokitika River catchment. It’s only 9 km long but it sure does get a lot of rainfall.

#3 Tutunendo, Colombia, South, America — 11,770 mm

MountWaialeale
Credit: Discover Something New

Tutunendo is a small town in Choco department, with a population of fewer than 1,000. Here the climate is like a tropical rainforest stereotype — extreme warmth, high humidity, lack of wind, and significant precipitation. If that wasn’t enough, there are two rainy seasons which bucket ample rain. The neighboring city of Quibdo is considered the wettest city in the world.

#2 Cherrapunji, India — 11,777 mm

Rope bridge in Cherrapunji. Credit: Buena Vibra
Rope bridge in Cherrapunji. Credit: Buena Vibra

Because of the elevation of Cherrapunji, air that blows over the plains below is cooled as it rises to the higher elevation. This cooling of the air causes the moisture trapped in the air to condense, forming clouds, which then release rain.

#1 Mawsynram, India — 11,871 mm

Credit: Veg Momos

Topping the list as the wettest place in the world is Mawsynram, a village in the East Khasi Hills district of Meghalaya state in north-eastern India. A few times a year, torrents of water turn the streets of the village into waterfalls. Every year this village is battered by nearly 12 meters of rain but the villagers are used to it — they only mind when they have to plug the leaking holes in their homes.

Was this helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
Related posts:
  1. Places on Earth that actually look like Hell
  2. Condensing towers could make water from thin air in the driest places on Earth
  3. Our long shadow: humanity places ‘intense’ pressure on 17,500 species of land vertebrates
  4. Great white sharks hunt for meals in unexpected places
  5. These are the “superspreader” places where you’re most at risk of getting COVID-19
Tags: rainwet

ADVERTISEMENT
  • News
  • Environment
  • Health
  • Future
  • Space
  • Features
  • Reviews
  • More
  • About Us

© 2007-2021 ZME Science - Not exactly rocket science. All Rights Reserved.

No Result
View All Result
  • News
  • Environment
  • Health
  • Future
  • Space
  • Features
    • Natural Sciences
    • Health
    • History and Humanities
    • Space & Astronomy
    • Culture
    • Technology
    • Resources
  • Reviews
  • More
    • Agriculture
    • Anthropology
    • Biology
    • Chemistry
    • Electronics
    • Geology
    • History
    • Mathematics
    • Nanotechnology
    • Economics
    • Paleontology
    • Physics
    • Psychology
    • Robotics
  • About Us
    • About
    • The Team
    • Advertise
    • Contribute
    • Privacy Policy
    • Contact

© 2007-2021 ZME Science - Not exactly rocket science. All Rights Reserved.

Don’t you want to get smarter every day?

YES, sign me up!

Over 35,000 subscribers can’t be wrong. Don’t worry, we never spam. By signing up you agree to our privacy policy.

✕
ZME Science News

FREE
VIEW