What Is the Wettest Place on Earth? Colombia Has a Surprising Claim
Mawsynram in northeastern India holds the World Meteorological Organization’s (WMO) official record for the highest average annual rainfall, with 11,872 millimeters (467.4 inches) recorded from 1941 to 1979. However, a rain gauge in western Colombia has measured an even higher long-term average. The Puerto Lopez rain gauge, located in the municipality of Lopez de Micay […]
Lopez de Micay, situated in Colombia's Choco biogeographic region, claims to be the wettest spot on Earth. This claim comes from data collected between 1960 and 2018, during which the area recorded an average of 13,159 millimeters (518.1 inches) of rainfall annually. However, this doesn't challenge Mawsynram's official World Meteorological Organization (WMO) record, which stands at 11,872 millimeters (467.4 inches) of rainfall between 1941 and 1979.
Mawsynram, located in northeastern India, remains the WMO's recognized record holder for highest average annual rainfall. Both sites, being in different observation periods and using different international record systems, cannot be directly compared. The Pacific coast of Colombia, particularly in western Colombia, is recognized as one of the world's most intensely rainy regions.
Here, the Pacific lowlands form a broad zone of extreme rainfall, with long-term mean annual rainfall reaching between 10,000 to 13,000 millimeters (393.7 to 511.8 inches). In particular, the Choco jet, a low-level wind that transports moisture inland from the Pacific, plays a significant role in the region's high rainfall levels.
Written by urgent.news from Colombia One's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
