The monsoon

📖 In short

The monsoon is a big wind that changes direction with the seasons, blowing over the Indian Ocean, the Arabian Sea and nearby lands. The word “monsoon”, used all over the world, comes from the Arabic word “mawsim”, meaning “season”.

🤩 Did you know?

The monsoon blows from the southwest from about April to October.
It blows from the northeast from about November to March.
In southern Oman the monsoon brings fog and drizzle in summer.
Some of the rainiest places in the world are parts of India watered by the monsoon.

🔎 Find out more

🌟 It changes direction

In summer the monsoon blows from the sea onto the land, from the southwest, full of moisture. In winter it turns round and blows from the land to the sea, from the northeast, so it's dry.

🔍 Why does it change?

In summer the land heats up more than the sea, so its hot air rises and damp sea air comes to take its place. In winter the opposite happens, because the land cools faster.

💡 Heavy rain

The summer monsoon brings very heavy rain to India, Bangladesh and Southeast Asia. This rain matters for growing rice and tea, but it can cause floods.