Monsoon

Always long-awaited, a collective sigh is heard once monsoon starts in India. The rains are an annual blessing yet often resulting in floods, hardship and death.

The monsoons of South Asia typically occur in tropical areas and one area where they impact greatly is India.

The Indian Meteorological Department defines it as the seasonal reversal of the direction of winds along the shores of the Indian Ocean, especially in the Arabian Sea, which blow from the southwest for half of the year and from the northeast for the other half, during which it turns large parts of India from semi-deserts into green grasslands.

It is one of the oldest known annual weather phenomena from June through September. It is difficult to predict and has a significant effect on the overall well-being of all people and animals, as it is the primary delivery mechanism for fresh water. It hugely affects the environment (and associated flora, fauna, ecosystems), agriculture, society, hydro-power production, and geography of the subcontinent.