The climate on planet Earth is very diverse. Somewhere almost every day it rains, and in another place you can’t hide from the heat. Nevertheless, weather conditions obey their laws. And just by looking at the world map, a specialist with a great deal of confidence will be able to say what climate is in one or another point of the globe. But did you know that, for example, in the Russian Far East and in India the same type of climate? Surprisingly, a fact.
Monsoon climate on planet Earth
So what are the main features of this type? Well, firstly, the monsoon climate is characteristic of those areas of our planet where winds change in winter and summer . And on a more global scale - the movement of air masses. A monsoon is a wind that generally blows from the mainland in winter, and from the sea in summer. But it often happens and vice versa.
Such winds can bring both heavy rainfall and suffocating heat. And therefore, the main characteristic feature of the monsoon climate is the abundance of moisture in summer and its almost complete absence in the cold period. This distinguishes it from other types, where precipitation is distributed more or less evenly throughout the year. True, there are places on Earth where this is not so obvious. In some areas of Japan, for example, the climate is also monsoon. But due to the geographical location and terrain features, it rains there almost all year round.
In general, the monsoon climate is distributed only at certain latitudes. As a rule, these are subtropics, tropics and subequatorial belt. For temperate latitudes, as well as for equatorial zones, it is not characteristic.
Varieties
Mainly due to the topography and latitude, the monsoon climate is usually divided into several types. And, of course, each of them has its own characteristics. A moderately monsoon climate is found in the Far East of Russia, in China, North Korea and partially in Japan. In winter, there is little rainfall in this area, but it is rather cold due to air masses from Eastern Siberia. In summer there is more moisture. But in Japan - on the contrary. The average temperature of the coldest month in the region is minus twenty, and the warmest +22.
Subequatorial
Distributed mainly in the Indian and Western Pacific Oceans. In addition, the climate of tropical monsoons (as it is also called) is found in the corresponding latitudes of Africa and in the southern regions of Asia and America. It is just as warm as in the tropics.
The subequatorial climate of tropical monsoons is divided into several subtypes. All of them belong to the corresponding zones of the Earth. So, this is continental, oceanic, as well as monsoons of the western and eastern shores. The first subtype is characterized by a sharp difference in precipitation by season. In winter, there are practically none, and in summer, almost an annual norm falls. An example is the African states of Chad and Sudan.
The oceanic subtype of tropical monsoons is characterized by a small amplitude of both annual and daily temperatures. As a rule, it is from 24 to 28 degrees Celsius. The dry period in these places does not last long.
The monsoons of the west coast are Indian and West African. In the dry period, there is also almost no rainfall, but in the rainy season there is simply an abnormal amount. This happens, for example, in some places in India. And Cherapunji has the largest rainfall in the world - twenty-one thousand millimeters!
In this climate, the course of annual temperatures is also unusual: their maximum occurs in the spring.
The monsoon of the east coast also has a long rainy season. However, the maximum moisture falls at the end of summer or September, as in Vietnam, where only seven percent of the precipitation falls during the dry season.
Monsoon climate of the Far East
Basically, such conditions exist in the Khabarovsk and Primorsky Territories, as well as on Sakhalin. Winter is dry in these places: it accounts for 15 to 25 percent of the annual rainfall. Spring also does not bring much rain.
In the summer the monsoon from the Pacific Ocean predominates. But it only affects the climate of coastal areas.
In the lower reaches of the Amur, winter, on the contrary, is snowy, the average temperature is minus 22. In summer, it is also not hot: within plus 14.
Winter is harsh on Sakhalin, but in the south-west of the island it is much warmer due to the Sea of Japan. Summer is cool.
In Kamchatka, the January temperature varies from –18 to –10 degrees Celsius. The same can be said about July: from +12 to +14, respectively.
Monsoons have a significant impact on the climate of many regions of the planet. One cannot say for sure whether it is positive or negative. However, for the weather surprises inherent in this type of climate, people need to be always prepared. Perhaps in the future we will have to deal more with such manifestations as, for example, the Amur flood.