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Frontal Rainfall

Stage 1. An area of warm air meets and area of cold air. Stage 2. The warm air is forced over the cold air Stage 3. Where the air meets the warm air is cooled and water vapour condenses. Stage 4. Clouds form and precipitation occurs

Convectional Rainfall

Stage 1. The sun heats the ground and warm air rises. Stage 2 As the air rises it cools and water vapour condenses to form clouds. Stage 3. When the condensation point is reached large cumulonimbus clouds are formed.

Stage 4. Heavy rain storms occur. These usually include thunder and lightening due to the electrical charge created by unstable conditions.

frontal precipitation Any precipitation attributable to the action of a front; used mainly to distinguish this type from air-mass precipitation and orographic precipitation. Frontal Precipitation The formation of precipitation due to the convergence of two air masses. In most cases, the two air masses have different climatological characteristics. One is usually warm and moist, while the other is cold and dry. The leading edge of the latter air mass acts as an inclined wall or front causing the moist warm air to be lifted. Of course the lifting causes the warm moist air mass to cool due to expansion resulting in saturation. This precipitation type is common at the mid-latitudes where cyclones form along the polar front. Also called frontal precipitation. Frontal rainfall is a type of precipitation that is common in the UK, which occurs when a warm air mass and a cold air mass meet. A warm front is discovered when warm air advances and rises over the cold, which is heavier and denser. As this warm air rises it also cools causing condensation takes places. If this condensation continues there will be a growth in warm droplets which fall as rain when heavy enough. The cold front can take place when heavy cold air advances and pushes under a body of lighter warm air. The name frontal rainfall is derived from the fact that the rainfall occurs when the masses of warm and cold air meet which causes a front. Frontal rainfall is one of the three main types of rainfall along with convectional rainfall and relief rainfall. It is commonly known as frontal rainfall in the United Kingdom which actually receives more frontal rainfall than it does convectional rainfall which is usual in the rest of Europe. Another description of how frontal rainfall is formed can be found at this site: geographyfieldwork.com/FrontalRain.htm This also gives diagrams as to how this works. This site defines frontal rainfall as 'When the mass of thaw air meets the mass of cold air, the reheat air, which is lighter and less dense than the cold air, rises above the denser and heavier cold nouns mass. When this warm air is pushed upwards it cools and when the air goes above the point of dew formation and is no longer able to able to hold all its water inwardly, it begins to condense and form clouds. This leads to precipitation and eventually rainfall which will fall over a general area.'

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