Well, it seems we might need to borrow a new vocabulary from the Hawaiians.
As with Eskimo snow, however, many of the words are variations on a single theme. For example, the glossary section includes the basic word noe (mist or fine rain) as well as noe kolo (small fine rain of the mountains), noenoe (fine mist, fog or rain) and noe 'ula (red-eyed from going out in the rain).
Then there is paka (raindrops), pakaku (rain falling in large drops), pakapaka (a heavy shower of large raindrops or the spattering noise that such drops make on a hollow or dry substance), paka ua (raindrops making a noise as they spatter on dry leaves), paki'o (showery rain), and paki'oki'o (to rain in short showers and often). And who is to say whether pipinoke (to rain continuously) has the same root as paka or not?
http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/weather-forget-eskimo-snow--here-are-139-hawaiian-rain-words-1142513.html
It's surprising really, that we have such a limited number of words for such a common weather pattern on this island.
Mist, drizzle, rain, downpour, deluge: they're the only nouns I can think of, which name types of rain.
Is the Irish language any richer in these terms?
