Why does it rain more in some parts of the world?

Mika and I started looking for our favorite climate atlas to search for the answers. This book was full of colorful maps showing mountains, oceans, and deserts. We opened the book with the expectation of finding answers to our mystery. And the book did not disappoint. On one page there was a bright green place with lots of clouds and raindrops drawn on it. The book described it as the place getting rain almost every day of the year. We could jump through puddles there very often! On another page, we saw a huge yellow area with hardly any raindrops at all. This place, as mentioned in the book, was called a desert and sometimes it did not rain for years in these areas.

We learned from the book that rain does not fall the same and is quite inconsistent throughout the world. The places closer to the ocean see warm and due to the ocean more humid air rising more often, which turns into clouds full of water, eventually turning it into rain. Also, places near the mountains, clouds get lifted up easily making them receive heavy rainfalls throughout the year. But, completely opposite in the desert where the air is dry and lacks moisture, which makes it harder for the clouds to form and rain. 

After listening to the explanation, Mika smiled and said, “So… rain is really a mystery but in a way it is helping us.”

I laughed and nodded, “That’s right! Rain is actually helping the world. It fills rivers and lakes, gives water to plants and trees, and helps all the animals and people on our planet to stay alive.”

We closed our atlas and walked over to the window. The rain was still falling on the glass. “Thank you, rain.” we whispered. And then we crossed our fingers and hoped that next weekend would bring bright sunshine and the perfect picnic day!