Yojana Magazine: Issue July 2012
Monsoons are that time of the year that is eagerly awaited by all. Bringing
respite from the scorching heat, the monsoon rains usher in welcome relief.
Every summer, southern Asia, especially India is drenched by rain that comes
from moist air masses that move in from the Indian Ocean. These rains, and the
air masses that bring them are known as monsoons. The monsoon or rainy season
lasting from June to September is dominated by the humid South West Monsoon that
sweeps across the country in early June, first hitting the State of Kerala. The
South West Monsoon is generally expected to begin in early June and end by
September. Around September the northern land mass of the Indian sub-continent
begins to cool off rapidly. Cold wind sweeps down from the Himalayas and the
India-Gangetic Plain towards the vast spans of the Indian Ocean, South of the
Deccan peninsula, because of the heat that prevails over the Indian Ocean and
its surrounding atmosphere. This is known as the North East Monsoon or
Retreating Monsoon.
