Question map
Which one of the following characteristics is not found in the convectional rainfall?
Explanation
Convectional rainfall is characterized by the rapid upward movement of warm, moist air due to intense surface heating [c2][c4]. This process leads to the formation of towering cumulonimbus clouds, which result in heavy, torrential rain of short duration [c4][c5]. Because of the violent up-draughts and atmospheric instability, these storms are frequently accompanied by lightning and thunder [c2][t2][t5]. In tropical and temperate regions, this type of precipitation is most common during the afternoon or early evening when surface temperatures are at their peak [t2][t6][t8]. Drizzling, however, is characterized by very small droplets and light intensity, typically associated with stable atmospheric conditions and stratus clouds rather than the intense vertical convection and instability required for convective storms [c4][t2]. Therefore, drizzling is not a characteristic of convectional rainfall.
Sources
- [1] Physical Geography by PMF IAS, Manjunath Thamminidi, PMF IAS (1st ed.) > Chapter 25: Thunderstorm > Stage 1: Cumulus Stage > p. 342
- [2] Physical Geography by PMF IAS, Manjunath Thamminidi, PMF IAS (1st ed.) > Chapter 24: Hydrological Cycle (Water Cycle) > Convectional Rainfall > p. 338
- [3] Environment and Ecology, Majid Hussain (Access publishing 3rd ed.) > Chapter 8: Natural Hazards and Disaster Management > thunderstorms > p. 51
- [4] https://www.nssl.noaa.gov/education/svrwx101/thunderstorms/
- [5] https://ebooks.inflibnet.ac.in/geop14/chapter/atmospheric-moisture-iv-forms-and-types-of-precipitation/
- [6] https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-025-58729-y