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| Photo Source: Skanda Gautam via The Himalayan Times website |
1. ‘Monsoon’ is derived from Arabic word ‘mausim’ meaning a season or a shift in the wind flow. Monsoon refers to either a whole season or large scale weather pattern.
2. Monsoons are associated with rainy seasons in the tropics and the subtropics. It actually refers to the strong winds that blow from cold to hot places.
3. Start of monsoon is associated with a phenomenon known as ‘bursting of monsoon’, refers to abrupt change in weather conditions at the start of monsoon such as the hot and dry weather prior to the summer monsoon is replaced by a wet and humid one after it.
4. Monsoon is not continuous but continual rain for a few days is separated by rainless intervals, referred to as ‘break’ which is very necessary for the common people for normal life.
5. Asian monsoon is characterized with a distinct seasonal reversal of wind and rapid alternation of dry and wet seasons in the annual cycle, which is in concert with the seasonal reversal of the large-scale atmospheric heating and steady circulation features
6. Asian monsoon is the most prominent climate phenomena over Asia, where it tends to determine the weather and climate over vast areas, to the point that it influences the lives of nearly 66% of the world’s population.
7. Rains during summer monsoon in South Asia represents one of the most dramatic seasonal weather changes in the world. Even a slight shift in its pattern can lead to drought or floods and have real implications on food production.
8. Monsoons are not independent phenomenon i.e. they highly dependent on weather conditions around the world. El Nino in Pacific Ocean can reduce its rain bearing capacity. Similarly La Nina and Positive Indian Ocean dipole can increase its rainfall intensity.
9. Normally, summer monsoon starts (onset date) from June 10 and ends (withdrawal date) on 23 September in Nepal as per long-term data. Nepal receives more than 80% of rainfall/precipitation during summer monsoon.
10. Monsoon season can be both boon and bane.
Source/based on: https://www.nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/monsoon/
Lal, D.S., Climatology, Sharad Pustak Bhawan, 2006
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