Monsoon

Monsoon

Monsoon is traditionally defined as a seasonal reversing wind accompanied by corresponding changes in precipitation, but is now used to describe seasonal changes in atmospheric circulation and precipitation associated with the asymmetric heating of land and sea. Usually, the term monsoon is used to refer to the rainy phase of a seasonally-changing pattern, although technically there is also a dry phase.

The major monsoon systems of the world consist of the West African andAsia-Australian monsoons. The inclusion of the North and South Americanmonsoons with incomplete wind reversal has been debated.

The term was first used in English in British India (now India, Bangladesh andPakistan) and neighbouring countries to refer to the big seasonal winds blowing from the Bay of Bengal and Arabian Sea in the southwest bringing heavy rainfallto the area.The south-west monsoon winds are called 'Nairutya Maarut' in India.

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