Specific heat capacity of land and water

Pressure
Rain

Putting it all together

Land has a lower heat capacity than water.

Land heats up and cools down faster than water.
Hot air rises, creates an area of low pressure.
Air moves from high pressure area to low pressure area.
This movement of air = wind.
Warm air can hold more water than cool air.
When warm air cools, moisture condenses to liquid.

During warmer months, land heats up faster than water.

As land's surface becomes warmer, air heats up, expands and rises, and area of low press
Ocean does not heat up as fast, air remains at higher pressure.
Pressure differential causes air to move from ocean to land, bringing moist air inland.
Moist air gets heated up while it is inland. There are two options for this air:
(1) Flow back toward the ocean (completing the convection cycle)
(2) Precipitate if it cools beyond the threshold of holding water.

Late May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December
January
February
March
April
Early May

SW Monsoon

Intermonsoon

NE Monsoon

Intermonsoon

Drier Weather

Heavy rainfall

In summer, sun's rays strike directly above the equator. The Asian landmass
is heated more than the Indian Ocean.
As hot air expands and rises upwards, a semi-permanent low-pressure area
develops.
This draws moist air from the southern Indian Ocean and the IndonesianAustralian region (southeast) which transforms into southwesterlies on
crossing the equator and flow across SEA before converging towards
Indochina, China and NW Pacific.

During the intermonsoon periods, winds are light and variable. Morning skies
are often clear and this favours thunderstorm development in the afternoon.

During winter, continental landmass cools rapidly, resulting in extremely low

temperature over central Asia. As temperature drops, atmospheric pressure
rises and an intense high pressure system develops over Siberia. Cold air
flows out of Siberia as northwesterlies and turns into northeasterlies on
reaching the coastal waters of China before heading towards SEA.

During the intermonsoon periods, winds are light and variable. Morning skies
are often clear and this favours thunderstorm development in the afternoon.

Stable atmosphere -> lack of convection

=> prevents development of rain-bearing
clouds
=> dry weather

From time to time, strong outburst of cold

air (monsoon surges) interact with low
pressure atmospheric systems and
cyclonic vortices are formed near the
equator in strong winds and high seas in
South China Sea and heavy rainfall to
east coast states of Peninsular Malaysia
as well as the west coast of Sarawak in
East Malaysia.

Cirrus

Height
High
Medium
Low

Shape
Status

Cumulus