Australian monsoon
The Australian monsoon is the summer reversal of winds over northern Australia, bringing moist air, heavy rain, and thunderstorms.
Monsoon trough: A broad low-pressure zone where trade winds converge, air rises, and tropical rainfall develops. The trough marks the main zone of convergence and rain during the Australian wet season.
Australian wet season: The rainy season across much of northern Australia, generally spanning the warmer months. Monsoon bursts supply a large share of the region’s seasonal rainfall.
Australian monsoon variability: Changes in the timing, strength, and duration of the Australian monsoon between seasons and years. This variability captures the system’s irregular onset, active spells, and breaks.
Australian dry season: The cooler, drier season across much of northern Australia, dominated by southeasterly trade winds. It contrasts with the summer monsoon’s humid westerlies and concentrated rainfall.
Intertropical Convergence Zone: A migrating belt of low pressure near the equator where trade winds meet and rising air produces clouds and rain. Its seasonal southward movement helps position the monsoon circulation over northern Australia.
Australian tropical cyclone: A tropical cyclone occurring in the Australian region, with organized low pressure, strong winds, and heavy rain. Monsoon troughs can provide the low-level rotation and moisture from which cyclones develop.
El Niño–Southern Oscillation: A coupled tropical Pacific climate pattern that alternates between El Niño, La Niña, and neutral conditions. ENSO shifts tropical circulation and often changes northern Australia’s monsoon rainfall.
Trade winds: Persistent tropical easterly winds that blow toward the equatorial low-pressure belt. The monsoon reverses the prevailing low-level easterly flow over northern Australia.
Australian monsoon onset: The seasonal transition to sustained monsoon westerlies and widespread rain over northern Australia. Onset marks the shift from pre-monsoon conditions to the active wet-season circulation.
Australian flood: An overflow of water onto normally dry land in Australia, caused by intense rain, river rise, or coastal hazards. Persistent monsoon rain can saturate catchments and trigger major northern floods.