Rain Storm Over City: Terminal Velocity & Puddle Accumulation (2D)

What Is Terminal Velocity?

Terminal velocity refers to the constant speed that a falling object eventually reaches when the force of air resistance balances out the gravitational pull. For rain droplets, this is influenced by their size and the density of the surrounding air.

In our simulation, you can observe how changing the rainfall intensity, wind speed, and droplet diameter affects the terminal velocity of each droplet.

The Role of Droplet Size

Larger rain droplets have more mass and thus a higher terminal velocity compared to smaller ones. This is because they experience greater gravitational force but also face similar air resistance as their size increases.

In the simulation, you can see how varying the droplet diameter changes the fall angle and terminal velocity of each droplet.

Wind's Influence on Rainfall

Wind can significantly alter the path and speed at which rain falls. In our 2D storm over a city, you can observe how wind direction and speed affect the trajectory and accumulation of puddles.

The Atlas formula, used in the simulation, helps calculate the terminal velocity of droplets under varying wind conditions.

Puddle Accumulation Dynamics

As rain falls, it accumulates on surfaces to form puddles. The depth and spread of these puddles depend on factors such as rainfall intensity, duration, and the surface characteristics.

The simulation models this process in real-time, allowing you to see how different storm conditions lead to varying levels of water accumulation.

Frequently asked questions

Try it live

Everything above runs in your browser — open Rain Storm Over City: Terminal Velocity & Puddle Accumulation (2D) and change the parameters while it is running. Nothing is installed, nothing is uploaded, the whole model lives in one tab.