Cherrapunji and Mawsynram

Mawsynram is the wettest place on Earth. It still runs out of water every winter.

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Indian Geography · IndGeo0063

Cherrapunji and Mawsynram

The two wettest places on Earth, 16 km apart in Meghalaya

Mawsynram

11,871 mm

Avg. annual rainfall

Guinness World Record

Cherrapunji (Sohra)

11,430 mm

Avg. annual rainfall

Close second

Cherrapunji 24-hr

1,563 mm

Mawsynram 24-hr

1,003.6 mm

The paradox

Earth’s wettest place still runs dry. 70–90% of the rain falls in just four monsoon months (June–September); the rest of the year, steep, rocky terrain lets rainwater run off before it can be stored.

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Must Know

• Mawsynram holds the Guinness World Record for the highest average annual rainfall on Earth, about 11,871 mm.
• Cherrapunji, also called Sohra, is a close second, with an average annual rainfall of about 11,430 mm.
• Both places sit in the East Khasi Hills district of Meghalaya.
• They are only about 16 km apart.

Good to Know

• Cherrapunji still holds the record for the highest rainfall in a single year: over 26 metres, between August 1860 and July 1861.
• It also holds one of the highest one-month totals ever recorded: about 9,296 mm in July 1861.
• The extreme rainfall comes from a process called orographic rainfall.
• Moisture-laden monsoon winds from the Bay of Bengal strike the steep southern edge of the Khasi Hills.
• The hills rise sharply to about 1,370 metres within just a few kilometres of the plains.
• This forces the moist air to rise and cool very quickly, squeezing out intense rain.
• Deep, funnel-shaped valleys around Cherrapunji further channel low clouds toward the town, concentrating the rainfall even more.

Test Yourself

Please wait…

1. Which place holds the Guinness World Record for the highest average annual rainfall on Earth?

Mawsynram

Cherrapunji

Shillong

Sohra

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Great to Know

• Nearly 70 to 90 percent of Meghalaya’s rainfall falls in just four months, June to September.
• Once the monsoon withdraws, rainfall drops sharply for the rest of the year.
• Cherrapunji sits on a high limestone plateau with steep, rocky terrain.
• Rainwater runs off this terrain quickly, instead of soaking into the ground.
• Deforestation and weak water-storage infrastructure add to the problem.
• The result is a real paradox: the wettest place on Earth faces water shortages in the dry season.
• Cherrapunji still holds the higher 24-hour rainfall record between the two towns: 1,563 mm, recorded on 16 June 1995.
• Mawsynram’s own 24-hour record, set on 17 June 2022, is lower, at 1,003.6 mm.
• So even though Mawsynram wins on long-term average, Cherrapunji still wins on single-day extremes.