Mawsynram () is a town in the East Khasi Hills district of Meghalaya state in Northeastern India, from Shillong, the state capital. Mawsynram receives the highest rainfall in India. It is reportedly the wettest place on Earth, with an average annual rainfall of . According to the Guinness Book of World Records, Mawsynram received of rainfall in 1985. Mawsynram received of rainfall on 19 August 2015. On 17 June 2022, Mawsynram set a new record by receiving in a span of 24 hours which has now become its highest single day record for the month of June and for its all-time single day record, beating its former record of on 7 June 1966.
Location
Mawsynram is located at 25° 18′ N, 91° 35′ E, at an altitude of about 1,400 meters (4,600 ft), 15 km west of Cherrapunji, in the Khasi Hills in the state of Meghalaya (India).
Climate and rainfall Under the Köppen climate classification, Mawsynram features a subtropical highland climate (Cwb) with an extraordinarily showery, rainy and long monsoonal season and a short dry season. Based on the data of a recent few decades, it appears to be the wettest place in the world, or the place with the highest average annual rainfall. Mawsynram receives over of rain in an average year, and the vast majority of the rain it gets falls during the monsoon months. A comparison of rainfalls for Cherrapunji and Mawsynram for some years is given in Table 1.The Tribune, Chandigarh, August 2003. Mawsynram receives the highest rainfall in India. Although it is reportedly the wettest place on Earth, with an average annual rainfall of , this claim is disputed by Lloró, Colombia, which reported an average yearly rainfall of between 1952 and 1989 and López de Micay, also in Colombia, which reported per year between 1960 and 2012. According to the records observed by the Indian Meteorological Department, it was seen that while its neighbour, Cherrapunji is having a significant decreasing trend in rainfall, Mawsynram on the other hand is experiencing a slight increase in its rainfall pattern which put its average annual rainfall from 1950 to 2000 at and from 2000 to 2020 at . The precipitation table below shows the average monthly record from 1950 to 2000.
Primarily due to the high altitude, it seldom gets truly hot in Mawsynram. Average monthly temperatures range from around in January to just above in August. The village also experiences a brief but noticeably drier season from December until February, when monthly precipitation on average does not exceed . The little precipitation during the village's "low sun" season is something that is shared by many areas with this type of climate.
The following table is a comparison of rainfalls for Cherrapunji and Mawsynram between 1970 and 2010.
Year Cherrapunji Rainfall (mm) Mawsynram Rainfall (mm) 2010 13 472 14 234 2009 9 070 12 459 2008 11 415 12 670 2007 12 647 13 302 2006 8 734 8 082 2005 9 758 10 072 2004 14 791 14 026 2003 10 499 11 767 2002 12 262 11 118 2001 9 071 10 765 2000 11 221 13 561 1999 12 503 13 4451998 14 536 16 7201997 8 993 9 8921996 12 989 12 8501995 14 189 13 8321994 11 194 10 9401993 12 807 13 8481992 8 537 10 4501991 13 494 16 1121990 11 598 12 9341989 13 432 8 8281988 17 948 16 7501987 13 153 NA1986 8 140 NA1985 11 816 26 0001984 16 761 25 6131983 9 773 12 1631982 10 468 9 2461981 9 113 9 7391980 9 133 9 7391979 12 095 NA1978 6 950 NA1977 11 689 11 9861976 11 012 6 1341975 11 976 10 6391974 24 554 NA1973 10 911 NA1972 11 095 NA 1971 16 915 NA1970 15 318 NA Source:Handbook 1975 megplanning.gov.in Handbook 1984 megplanning.gov.inHandbook 1987 megplanning.gov.inHandbook 1995 megplanning.gov.inHandbook 1998 megplanning.gov.inHandbook 1992 megplanning.gov.inHandbook 2008 megplanning.gov.in
Three reasons can be cited for high rainfall at Mawsynram: The warm moist winds of the northward-moving air from the Bay of Bengal during the monsoon, which cover an extensive area but are forced to converge into the narrower zone over the Khasi Hills, thus concentrating their moisture. The alignment of the Khasi Hills (east to west) places them directly in the path of the airflow from the Bay of Bengal, producing a significant uplift (plus cooling, further condensation and thus more rain). Finally, uplift over the Khasi Hills is virtually continuous in the monsoon period because the lifted air is constantly being pulled up by vigorous winds in the upper atmosphere; hence, the rainfall is more or less continuous.
Natural landmarks Located in Mawsynram, is a cave named Mawjymbuin, known for its stalagmites. Inside this cave is a pair of notable speleothems - stalactites shaped like large Shivling. The area is known for its many caves, both commercialized and non-commercialized.
References
Middleton, Nick. Going to Extremes. Pan, 2012.
External links The Tribune (India) - The dispute between Mawsynram and Cherrapunji for the title of "wettest place on earth"