Last Updated on August 5, 2021 by
The word “monsoon” comes from an Arab word meaning “season”. It has to do with a type of climate in which winds blow from sea to land (onshore) during the warm season, and from land to sea (offshore) during the cool season. The warm season of onshore winds is often very rainy, while the cool season of offshore winds may be dry.
What causes this seasonal chaflge in winds and rainfall? It is due to the fact that large continents or land masses heat and cool more rapidly than the surrounding oceans. Central and Southern Asia grow warm rapidly in the spring, and during the summer they are much warmer than the Indian Ocean on the south, or the Pacific Ocean on the east.
The warmer temperatures inland create lower atmospheric pressures, and therefore the wind blows inland from the surrounding seas. This is the onshore or summer monsoon.
In the autumn, interior Asia cools rapidly, and during the winter it has much lower temperatures than the surrounding oceans. These lower temperatures create high atmospheric pressures, and therefore the winter monsoon winds blow outward from the dry interior regions toward the sea.
Why Is It Called Monsoon?
The word “monsoon” comes from the Arabic word Muslim, meaning “season.” The seasonal wind shift is usually accompanied by a dramatic change in precipitation.
What exactly is monsoon?
Monsoon is a seasonal weather phenomenon, which occurs twice a year in India and Southeast Asia. It is caused by the convergence of air masses crossing tropical or subtropical regions. These air masses start in the Arabian Sea due to northeasterly winds and then move to the Indian Ocean due to westerly winds. After a brief monsoon period, the winds reverse, and the process is repeated.
What’s an example of a monsoon?
For those with an interest in weather, here is an example of a monsoon. Monsoon season is the period of time in the Indian (Asian) summer when the summer monsoon winds blow in from the Indian Ocean. These winds carry warm moist air (the monsoon) from the Indian Ocean towards the country across a broad area. This warm moist air then causes the summer rains.
How long is a monsoon?
A monsoon season is an annual event in India, usually lasting from June to September. It is a seasonal windstorm that brings the heaviest rainfall in India. To get a rough idea of the duration of the monsoon, you would have to look at the “rainy season” that covers the months of January to March. It is from this period that the monsoon is derived. The Indian monsoon is generally from June to September but also varies from year to year, depending on the variability of the Indian Ocean.
How many monsoons do we have?
Monsoons are impressive natural phenomena. They are brought on by the shifting of the trade winds over the Indian Ocean and cause an intense rainy season. Since the monsoon winds blow from the northeast, they cause deserts to flood and clear up the skies in the drylands. Monsoons can be as deadly as they are beautiful. There are two monsoons -the southwest monsoon and the northeast monsoon
