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Southeast Asia

Monsoon Climate

The climate of the Southeast Asian region is typical monsoon climate. Dry northeast seasonal wind from the continent prevails in the period between November and March, and southwest wind prevails during April through October. Northeast wind from the continent is dry, making the period a dry season. The southwest monsoon carries a large amount of moisture from the ocean, bringing rain and making the period a rainy season. This is the fundamental climatic pattern of tropical Asia. Most of Indo-China, Myanmar, and majority of India have clearly divided rainy and dry seasons.

Dry and Rainy Seasons

In addition to the seasonal wind, the topographic characteristics considerably influence precipitation. Namely, even a dry northeast monsoon absorbs a lot of moisture during its journey over the ocean and brings rain. The northern part of Java has a considerable amount of rainfall during the period of the northeast monsoon. The northeast monsoon over the Indian Ocean brings rain to almost the entire are of Sri Lanka. In a part of Peninsular Malaysia, both seasonal winds bring rainfall, making it difficult to tell the dry season from the rainy season. In the Philippines, the pattern of precipitation differs considerably depending on the area.

Precipitation and its Fluctuation

Myanmar and the Assam district of India have places with more than 3,000 mm of annual precipitation, but most other places have 1,500 ? 2,000 mm of rain a year. In a tropical zone, the fluctuation of precipitation is so great that it hinders agricultural production greatly by bringing drought and flooding. The beginning of the rainy season also fluctuates considerably, often creating an impediment to the determination of planting.