Rain Rain Go Away!

Imagine being a morning student. Leaving at five thirty, expecting another day of learning, when suddenly, rain comes pouring down out of nowhere. This July and nearing August is officially rainy season! But how do rain or typhoons happen? Here in the Philippines (Central Luzon), according to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) our current weather conditions — as of July 29 to August 2 — are those of "cloudy skies with scattered rains and thunderstorms" that are caused by a "low-pressure area (LPA)". The effects that this will have on Central Luzon are of the following: possible flash floods or landslides due to moderate to at times heavy rains.

Now, back to our question of how and why typhoons, cyclones, and rain happen? A typhoon is a tropical cyclone commonly found in the Northern Hemisphere that produces hurricane-force winds reaching 119 km/h (74 mph). For organizational purposes, the Northern Pacific Ocean is divided into three regions: the eastern (North America to 140°W), central (140°W to 180°), and western (180° to 100°E). The Regional Specialized Meteorological Center (RSMC) for tropical cyclone forecasts is in Japan, with other tropical cyclone warning centers for the Northwest Pacific in Hawaii (the Joint Typhoon Warning Center), the Philippines, and Hong Kong.

Now, what are cyclones and why should you know what they are? A cyclone is a large air mass that rotates around a strong center of low atmospheric pressure, counterclockwise in the Northern Hemisphere and clockwise in the Southern Hemisphere as viewed from above. Cyclones are found not only on our planet Earth but also on Mars, Jupiter, and Neptune — Jupiter having the largest cyclone in the whole solar system. Why should you know them? It's pretty important to know the differences between Typhoons and Cyclones, and as an add on, it feels pretty entitling to know the difference of the two.

Lastly on our list! How does rain itself form? Rain forms from a number of factors: evaporation, condensation, and lastly precipitation — let's further analyze these three factors for the making of rain. Evaporation: is the process of the sun heating water in oceans, lakes, and rivers, turning it into an invisible gas called water vapor that rises into the air and then; Condensation: as said water/warm vapor rises, it meets colder air high in the sky, cools down, and turns back into tiny liquid water droplets or ice crystals around microscopic dust particles to form clouds and lastly; Precipitation: inside the cloud, these tiny droplets bump into each other, grow larger and when they get too heavy for the rising air to hold up, they fall to the ground as rain.

Now, let's debunk some superstitions in the Philippines about rain. First, "if it's raining and the sun's shining, a Tikbalang's Wedding is taking place." Due to insignificant evidence about this and no eyewitness, it truly seems false — it seems to be a superstition so that Filipino children will go home when it's raining; is it, or are they telling the truth? Next, "the wearing of jewelry attracts lightning." This is not true due to physics saying that lightning follows a guide from the cloud to the ground; but you should clear of pointy objects such as trees, or being alone on an open field. Lastly, "you can get sick from bathing in rain water" multiple factors make people think this is true, that is the lowering of body temperature, indoor crowding due to getting away from rain, and viruses staying alive in colder temperatures — all of these can be counteracted with, warming up, washing hands after bathing in the rain, and washing/drying off after indoor crowding or either bathing in rain water; it all depends on where the water is coming from, if it's coming from a dirty, rusty roof, then there is a chance of being sick from the viruses from said roof, and if it's from clouds, it all depends on the water it evaporated from.

Always remember now that it's the rainy season and to also stay safe while it's raining; be it driving safely, staying indoors to stay warm, whatever you want to do while it's cold and refreshing while raining — so cuddle up (maybe with a loved one?), dim the lights, put on your favorite show/movie, and get cozy! (Of course, after doing your homework assigned by your teacher) And also, rain is a helpful factor in our ecosystem, so maybe Rain Rain Don't Go Away?