The 8 Wettest Places in the World to Visit
It’s true that when prepping ourselves for travel, most of us will pack a beach towel and sunscreen before tossing a waterproof jacket into the suitcase. We might even opt for backpacking in minus temperatures before risking a weekend in the London drizzle or going on an adventure during India’s monsoon season.
There are, however, some places on our beautiful green planet where rainfall is more common than sunshine. Despite their bleak skylines, some of these rainy spots are well worth visiting, even if it does mean taking an umbrella.
Asia
Emei Shan, Sichuan Province China
Average Annual Rainfall: 8,169mm
Mount Emei Shan, in China’s rainy Sichuan Province, has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1996. Its Golden Summit reaches an altitude of 3,099 metres making it the highest of the Four Sacred Mountains of Bushism. The temples which decorate this mystical mountain peak date back as far as the Early Han Dynasty and during the sixth century became a sacred site for Buddhists.
Its green slopes are covered by subtropical forest and teeming with wildlife but, aside from its bucket loads of rain and grand temples, Emei Shan is best known for its spectacular sunrise and ‘cloud sea’. This natural phenomenon occurs during the monsoon season and is said to give the appearance of standing between a double layer of clouds.
Mawsynram, Meghalaya State, India
Average Annual Rainfall: 11,871mm
Taking the top spot as the wettest place on earth is Mawsynram in the Meghalaya State of northeastern India. The village of Cherrapunji, 15km away, takes the second spot so don’t travel to this remote region of India without a rain poncho at the very least.
Here torrential rain becomes a normal part of daily life and locals get by using huge umbrellas woven from banana leaves, bamboo, and reeds. Building is challenging in such wet conditions but indigenous residents make use of living building materials. In fact, one of Mawsynram’s most impressive features are the bridges which are made by knotting and weaving the roots of Indian Rubber Trees with bamboo while they grow.
In this area, the moisture gathers from the Bay of Bengal and get swept up above the floodplains in Bangladesh. In the Karshi Hills, the moisture condenses into heavy grey clouds which eventually burst over the village of Mawsynram and its surrounding hamlets. June and July, the peak of India’s monsoon season, is when the heaviest rain falls.
Oceania
Cropp River, New Zealand
Average Annual Rainfall: 11,516mm
Cropp River proudly holds the title of the wettest place in New Zealand. This river spans for a total of 9 km through the western mountain. It flows east to join the Whitcombe River and eventually the Hokitika River. It set the record for the highest rainfall in New Zealand in 1995 with a whopping 1,049 mm of rain in just 48-hours.
Mount Waialeale, Kauai, Hawaii
Average Annual Rainfall: 9,763mm
Mount Waialeale is the highest peak on the Hawaiian Island of Kauai. Its peak stands at an altitude of 1,569 metres above sea level, however, it’s shrouded by rain clouds so frequently that you’d be forgiven for missing this particular peak. Its name even translates as ‘overflowing waters’ or ‘rippling water’ in the Hawaiian language.
Originally a volcano, the surrounding hills wear a cloak of rich green forest which is known as the Alakai Wilderness Preserve, or the Alakai Swamp thanks to its soggy bogs.
North America
Henderson Lake, Vancouver Island, Canada
Average Annual Rainfall: 6,903 mm
Henderson Lake on Vancouver Island is the wettest places in Canada and among the wettest on the North American continent too. As you might expect the banks of the lake are lush, green, and overflowing with streams and falls. The lake itself drains south into the Uchucklesit Inlet. The region is popular for its mountainous hikes and kayaking routes.
The lake takes its name from Captain John Henderson, however, due to a vote in 2018, we may see the name change from Henderson Lake to Hucuktlis Lake in the near future. The area holds a spiritual significance among the Uchucklesaht First Nations in British Colombia and the word ‘Hucuktlis’ comes from the indigenous Nuu-Chah-Nulth language. It translates to ‘place way inside’.
Africa
San Antonia de Ureca, Bioko Island, Equatorial Guinea
Average Annual Rainfall: 10,450mm
Claiming the title of the wettest city in the entire African continent is the town of San Antonia de Ureca on Bioko Island, Equatorial Guinea. Located close to the Mount Bio, the country’s third highest peak and sitting at the foot of San Carlos, a shield volcano, Ureca is only 60 km south of the capital city of Malabo.
The dry season lasts only from November to March and, when the island isn’t being pelted with heavy raindrops, turtles nest on the nearby coastal beaches. The town hasn’t yet been discovered many tourists although a handful of nature lovers do find their way to Ureca. Most hike to gushing waterfalls hidden in the Equatorial Guinean jungle.
South America
Tutunendo, Colombia
Average Annual Rainfall: 11,770mm
Tutunendo in Colombia’s Choco province hosts not just one but two rainy seasons each year. This tiny town sits amid thick coastal jungle approximately 5 degrees north of the Equator. It has a hot and intensely humid climate all year round. Even during the ‘dry’ season.
Tutunendo is not the most well-known travel destination in El Choco, but just 8 km along the highway is Quibido, one of the wettest cities in the world. The region is packed full of hot springs, sandy Pacific beaches, and traditional festivals that take place throughout the year.
Europe
Argyll, Scotland
Average Annual Rainfall: 2,200 mm
Although Dunbartonshire and Inverness are close competitors, Argyll (or Argyllshire) is the rainiest county in Scotland and one of the wettest in Europe too. Argyll is located in the on the southwestern coast of Scotland. This drizzly county is rich in prehistoric history as well as nature. Despite the frequent rainfall and heavy clouds, tourists come from far away to sail to the Isle of Bute or hike in Loch Lamond & The Trossachs National Parks.
Sources:
1https://www.scotlandinfo.eu/scotland-weather-and-climate/
https://traveltips.usatoday.com/climate-tutunendo-choco-colombia-104538.html
https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/the-ten-wettest-places-in-the-world.html