Summary: This paper deals with some peculiar properties of the precipitation distribution on our planet. For zones of 10 degrees of latitude difference, the absolute and relative (percentage) extensions of the areas receiving given amounts of annual precipitation (Table I and II) as well as the distribution of average precipitation amounts over the whole Earth (Table III) are discussed.

On the basis of the average annual variation of temperature, the degree of precipitation concentration in the course of the year has been determined, this quantity being defined as the average precipitation amount of the wettest months of the year expressed in percentages of the average annual amount. The areas of strong and, respectively, of weak concentration are illustrated on Fig. 2.

The seasons in which the maxima and minima of precipitation are occurring, have been determined, and, on this basis, 12 formal types are defined. Their global distribution is shown on Fig. 4. Further, grouping the seasons in which the precipitation maximum is occurring, on terms of the thermal seasons expressing the annual path of the Sun, the precipitation patterns of the Earth are classified into 8 genetical types. Their distribution is shown on Fig. 5. The percentual extensions of the various genetical types for the whole globe, and further for the continents only and for the oceans only are listed in Tables V–VI–VII. Finally, along a meridional section passing over Africa and Europe, the areal monthly average precipitations are shown on Fig. 6.

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