The Effects of Monsoons in South Asia

Introduction

Every June, all of India looks to the sky. When the rains come late, people begin to worry. Indian astrologers call this time rohini. It is a time when hot, dry winds swirl dust across the parched plains. Women might walk for miles in 115"F heat to the nearest water source. Sometimes they collapse from heat exhaustion.

As one hot day follows another, farmers pray for help from the Hindu rain god Indra. In one region, people catch frogs to bring rain. They hope that the frogs' loud croaking will call down clouds from the sky. Even the giant crocodiles of northern India wait eagerly for the rains. Without flooded, moist riverbanks, they have nowhere to lay their eggs.

When the skies finally darken, a sense of expectation builds. The monsoons have arrived. These seasonal winds blow in from the ocean each summer. They are strong and violent, bringing with them clouds heavy with moisture. Almost all of the rain South Asia gets each year comes from these summer storms. All of India celebrates as sheets of rain pound the

dry, thirsty land below.

The Geographic Setting

South Asia juts out into the Indian Ocean like a giant triangle. This very large peninsula is also known as the Indian subcontinent. The Himalaya mountain range cuts the subcontinent off from the rest of Central Asia. One out of every five people on Earth lives in South Asia. Most are farmers who both look forward to and fear the coming of the monsoons.

Changes in Atmospheric Pressure Create Monsoons

Have you ever heard a weather forecaster talk about an area of high or low pressure? What this means is high or low atmospheric pressure. This is the weight of the atmosphere pressing down on the surface of Earth. Falling cool air creates areas of high pressure. Rising warm air creates areas of low pressure.