Heavy Downpour

The streets are awash in sheets of heavy rain. It beats relentlessly down, and forms rivers of water washing onto the sidewalk. Just as it sees that the droplets would relent, they begin their rhythmic assault again. A few people brave it, and run from doorways to the safety of their parked cars, umbrellas held high. Rain is liquid water in the form of droplets that have condensed from atmospheric water vapor and then precipitated—that is, become heavy enough to fall under gravity. Rain is a major component of the water cycle and is responsible for depositing most of the fresh water on the Earth. It provides suitable conditions for many types of ecosystem, as well as water for hydroelectric power plants and crop irrigation.