Rainfall is measured in terms of millimeters or inches, and, depending on the amount that has fallen, is usually described as light, moderate or heavy rain. It is said to be light rain if the amount totals one tenth of an inch of rainfall per hour. This type of rain is only a sprinkle, and doesn’t get you very wet if you get caught in it. You definitely wouldn’t need a raincoat during light rain. During a moderate rain shower, you would probably get wet if you spent even a short amount of time outside. You would definitely need a raincoat or umbrella to keep the water off your clothes and hair. Moderate rainfall measures from one tenth to one third of an inch of rain in an hour. Meteorologists call it heavy rain if more than a third of an inch of rain falls in an hour. The term, “it’s raining cats and dogs” applies here because there is nothing like a heavy shower to make you run for cover, and fast.

There are many different types of rain gauges used to get a rainfall measurement. The first is the standard eight inch rain gauge. The second way to measure new rainfall is by weighing a bucket of rainwater. The third type is called the tipping bucket method. Lastly, there is the high tech electronic rain gauge. Rain gauges can be plastic or glass and are quite a convenient way to determine whether it was just a tiny sprinkle or whether it was raining cats and dogs. They are typically placed on a fence post or any other platform that is without obstruction. There are calibration marks on the side of the gauge, and the rainfall measurements are read directly off of it.

A tipping bucket records precipitation on a rotating drum or electronically. A simple rain gauge has a funnel, but the funnel leads to two tiny buckets. The buckets are balanced similarly to a see-saw and each holds one-hundredth of an inch of water. When one bucket fills up, it tips down and is emptied as the other bucket fills with precipitation. Each tip of the bucket causes the rotating drum to record an increase of one-hundredth of an inch of rain. This method is not for when it’s raining cats and dogs.

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