Monsoon
Monsoon, a wind system in which the prevailing wind direction is reversed from season to season. Monsoons occur primarily in tropical and subtropical areas lying south, southeast, and east of large land masses in the Northern Hemisphere. A monsoonal system develops in North America, but it is weak compared to that in southeast Asia.
In summer, southern Asia develops a strong low-pressure center, into which winds from the adjacent oceans blow. Being warm and moist, the winds bring storms and heavy rainfall. Cherrapunji, India, one of the wettest places on earth, has received as much as 1,042 inches (26,467 mm) in a single year. In winter, Asia is dominated by a strong highpressure area. Blowing from land to sea, the winter monsoon brings several months of dry, clear, relatively cold weather.