Mawsynram is widely recognized as the place with the world’s highest average annual rainfall, receiving about 11,872 millimetres (467.4 inches) each year.
The village is in Meghalaya, northeastern India, near the southern edge of the Khasi Hills. During the summer monsoon, moisture-laden air from the Bay of Bengal is forced upward by the hills. Rising air cools, condenses, and produces exceptionally persistent rain.
Mawsynram is often confused with nearby Cherrapunji, also called Sohra. Cherrapunji has recorded some remarkable rainfall totals and held the long-standing reputation for being the wettest place, but modern average measurements commonly place Mawsynram first.
Rainfall varies greatly through the year. The wettest months are associated with the Indian summer monsoon, while winter is much drier. The figure is an average, not a claim that every year or every day produces the same amount of rain.