Weather Words: Monsoon

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You may have described a heavy downpour as “it’s a monsoon!” In some parts of the world, you wouldn’t be totally wrong, as quite a few regions around the world experience a monsoon season.

A monsoon is a shift in seasonal wind pattern that brings on a very rainy period. In the U.S., the desert southwest, the summer monsoon season usually begins around mid-June. This occurs when predominant winds begin to shift more southerly, pulling in moisture from the south and triggering a pattern of rainy conditions.

The pattern continues because humidity levels increase over land, triggering more thunderstorms. This continues until the land areas cool in early fall and ocean water temperatures reach their peak temperature. When this happens, the hose of moisture is shut off. And by the fall, winds will start shifting out of the west, which brings drier conditions to the region.

The arrival of monsoon conditions can trigger a host of hazards such as:

• Dust storms
• Damaging winds
• Flash floods
• Lightning
• Fires
• Tornadoes

Make sure you know how to stay safe.

J​ennifer Gray is a weather and climate writer for weather.com. She has been covering some of the world's biggest weather and climate stories for the last two decades.