Assertion (A) : Areas near the equator receive rainfall throughout the year. Reason (R) : High temperatures and high humidity cause convectional rain in most afternoons near the equator. In the context of the above two statements, which one of the following is correct ?

Assertion is correct: equatorial regions receive rain throughout the year because precipitation is heavy, well distributed and there is typically no month without rain in the wet equatorial climate [1]. Reason is also correct: intense heating, high humidity and strong daytime evaporation set up convectional updraughts that produce towering cumulonimbus storms—often as heavy afternoon thunderstorms—causing frequent daily showers [2]. Moreover, textbooks note that this daily convectional rainfall pattern is responsible for the even distribution of rainfall in the equatorial belt, producing uniformly high annual totals and absence of a distinct dry season [3]. Therefore R correctly explains why areas near the equator receive rainfall year‑round.

Sources

1. [1] Physical Geography by PMF IAS, Manjunath Thamminidi, PMF IAS (1st ed.) > Chapter 30: Climatic Regions > Precipitation > p. 425
2. [2] Certificate Physical and Human Geography , GC Leong (Oxford University press 3rd ed.) > Chapter 15: The Hot, Wet Equatorial Climate > Glimate > p. 151
3. [3] FUNDAMENTALS OF PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY, Geography Class XI (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 10: Water in the Atmosphere > World Distribution of Rainfall > p. 89