Monsoon

While this word is often associated with heavy rainfall, it derives from the arabic word: ‘mausim', meaning season. A monsoon climate is characterised by major shifts in wind direction from one season to another, especially in sub-tropical regions of the world. Such shifts often cause distinct wet and dry seasons. While the Asian Monsoon is perhaps most well known, monsoon climates can also be found in subtropical regions of Africa, Australasia and the Americas.