Why is rainfall measured in millimeters and not in litres?

in #quora7 years ago

The measured rain is actually not the amount of water. It is the height to which water would stand if all the rainwater was allowed to stay at the place without flowing off or getting absorbed in the soil. Thus, a rain of 100 mm means that if the rainwater had been collected in a tank, it would have water to a depth of 100 mm.