1 . Learning about Rainfall around the World

We all need rain

Rain is a necessity around the world. Whatever your feelings, we all need rain. On other planets, it may rain methane (甲烷), iron or sulphuric acid (硫酸).     1    

Wettest and driest

    2     It’s difficult to work out precisely which place on Earth is the wettest, but some contenders (竞争者) include the Indian Himalayas, Hawaii and the town of Tutunendo in Colombia, which can receive 25 meters of rain per year. At the other extreme, the driest place on Earth is the Antarctic, where rainfall is rare and winds are cold, strong and dry.

It’s going to rain

    3     In different cultures, owls, blackbirds, swallows and peacocks and in the US state of Texas, even toads can predict weather change.

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It’s not surprising that ancient people respected the rain and developed myths (神话) connected to animals to explain it. The San people of South Africa say stormy weather is brought by the dangerous rain-bull escaping from his cave, but that soft rain the gift of the gentle rain-cow.     5     Its wings cause thunder as it carries messages across the sky. And the strangest rain myth? In Thailand, a breed of cat called the cloud cat is carried out into the fields and water is sprinkled on its face to bring rain. With global warming making many parts of the world drier, those cats could come in handy!