Monsoon Season

Say "monsoon," and most people think "rain." But monsoons aren't rainstorms. They're wind systems that reverse direction when the seasons change, bringing dry weather as well as wet. In fact, the word monsoon comes from the Arabic mausim ("season"), which ancient Arab mariners used to refer to seasonal shifts in sea breezes.

Many countries have monsoonal climates, with strong seasonal winds, wet summers, and dry winters. Even the southwestern United States has a small-scale monsoon. But the Asiatic monsoon that washes over the Indian subcontinent every year is the mother of them all.

Members, read this article now

Get it as an easy-print PDF