Waterproofing in a tent shows us how much water the outer fabric can repel. It is measured in millimeters (mm) and refers to how many millimeters of a vertical column of water (and thus pressure) a square centimeter of fabric can withstand without being penetrated by water.
The higher the degree of waterproofing, the less breathable the fabric is, and thus the warmer the tent. Widely used waterproofing values range from 500mm to 10000mm. Theoretically, any fabric with waterproofing >1000mm is characterized as waterproof. Indicatively, a summer tent can have waterproofing from 500 to 1500mm.