This Region of India Can Get More Rain in One Month Than Warsaw Sees in Over a Decade

The Cherrapunji and nearby Mawsynram region in India's Meghalaya state is regularly cited as one of the wettest places in the world — annual rainfall there can reach several meters.

Such extreme rainfall comes from the arrangement of the mountains, which abruptly force moist air from the Bay of Bengal to rise sharply during the monsoon, releasing enormous amounts of water in a short time.

Despite the permanent moisture, the region paradoxically struggles with drinking water shortages in the dry season, because the steep, rocky terrain lets rainwater run off quickly instead of being retained.

For generations, locals have coped with the wet climate in an unusual way — growing so-called living bridges, formed over years from the roots of fig trees, which withstand floods far better than traditional wooden structures.