Knowing how to check rain data is useful when you want to find out how much rain has fallen, whether rain is expected, or how rainfall has changed over a particular period. Rain data can be useful for farming, travel, gardening, outdoor activities, and planning. The best method depends on whether you want current rainfall, a forecast, or historical rainfall information.
Check a Weather App
Start by opening a reliable weather app on your phone.
Search for your location and look for information under precipitation or rainfall. Many weather apps show the probability of rain, expected rainfall amount, and hourly forecasts.
Open your weather app
Search for your location
Check the precipitation information
Review the hourly forecast
Check Rainfall on a Weather Website
You can also use a weather website to check rainfall information.
Enter your town or city and look for the precipitation section. Some services provide rainfall amounts in millimetres and show when rain is expected.
Open a weather website
Enter your location
Select the rainfall or precipitation section
Check the expected rainfall
Check Hourly Rainfall Information
If you want to know when rain is likely to occur, check the hourly forecast.
This can show the expected probability of rain and the estimated rainfall amount for different hours of the day.
Open the hourly forecast
Check precipitation percentages
Look at the expected rainfall amounts
Compare different hours
Check Historical Rainfall Data
If you want to know how much rain has already fallen, look for historical weather or rainfall records.
Weather stations and meteorological services may provide daily, monthly, or yearly rainfall measurements.
Search for historical rainfall records
Select your location
Choose the required date or period
Check the rainfall measurement
Check Rainfall in Millimetres
Rainfall is commonly measured in millimetres. The measurement indicates the depth of water that would accumulate on a flat surface if there were no drainage or evaporation.
For example, 10 mm of rainfall represents a relatively small amount of rain, while much larger measurements indicate heavier rainfall.
Check the rainfall measurement
Note whether it is measured in millimetres
Compare the amount with previous rainfall
Use Local Weather Information
For the most accurate information, particularly during severe weather, check weather information from your country’s official meteorological service.
Local weather stations can provide rainfall measurements and forecasts that may be more relevant to your specific area.
Check local weather information
Look at official weather updates
Compare information from reliable sources
