็How do Thai ancient people measure rainfall? What did they mean by a “shower”?​

Created By RISC | 4 years ago

Last modified date : 2 years ago

Ever wondered how we measure rainfall? What about in the past? What did they mean by a “shower”?​

To measure rainfall you might think of trapping water in a standard receptacle. A bamboo tube or a pot could be unsuitable because they might not last or might have a different size in each region. That's why a monk's alms bowl was a popular choice in many areas, for its durability and standard design.​

The rainfall archives of Prince Pawaret Wariyalongkon record a “shower” of rain as filling an alms bowl. The author found that 1 full bowl is about 167-178 millimeters. ​

Ways to measure rain are always developing. The alms bowl has been succeeded by udometers, used daily and hourly, and radar, with real-time rain tracking. We are still improving accuracy and efficiency to create automatic flood warning systems.​

Author/Editor: Thanawat Jinjaruk, Senior Researcher, RISC​

Reference: ปรีดี พิศภูมิวิถี. 2560. จดหมายเหตุบัญชีน้ำฝน: องค์ความรู้ด้านอุทกศาสตร์. วารสารมนุษยศาสตร์วิชาการ, ปีที่ 26, ฉบับที่ 1 (มกราคม-มิถุนายน 2562).​