It is tempting to imagine the UK as one of the wettest countries in the world, given it seems to rain almost every day in some parts of the British Isles.
Yet, intriguingly, a list of the top 20 rainiest countries is actually dominated by those in Asia, Africa and South America.
And when it comes to Europe, Iceland is amongst the most rainy countries on the continent with an average annual precipitation of 1288 mm per year in 2022.
But fear not, the UK does feature in the top 10 of the wettest European countries, along with Norway, Austria and Ireland.
The wettest place in the world, on the other hand, is considered to be a village with around 100 uniquely shaped houses in India.
Mawsynram is a day’s journey from Shillong and averages about 11,873mm of rainfall annually.
That is close to 11 times more than the 1,109mm which falls in Glasgow and 22 times greater than the 585mm of rain in London each year.
In 2022, this village even saw an extraordinary 1003mm in just one day, as the heavens opened up in spectacular fashion.
The village is nestled amidst the lush green forests of the Khasi Hills in the far east of India above Bangladesh.
The rain sometimes lasts for a week without interruption and can stop the children from attending school.
The town’s unique geography is one of the biggest reasons behind its unusually high rainfall.
As the winds travel from the Bay of Bengal, they inevitably collide with the Khasi Hills.
This forces the winds to spiral upwards and, as they do so, they cool down drastically, enabling precipitation to occur.
Despite the rain, the region is one of the most beautiful to visit in India, with a rich flora.
The hilly area is covered with bamboo and broom grass, and has several rivers and streams that fall through the valleys to create multiple stunning waterfalls.
A particular attraction are the Nohkalikai Waterfalls, the fourth highest in the world.
