Rohini a time when hot dry winds swirl across the parched plains. monsoon a seasonal wind. their summer winds in south asia usually bring rain to that region. peninsula a long, narrow stretch of land that is surrounded by water on three sides. atmospheric pressure the weight of the atmosphere pressing down on any point of the surface of earth. high-pressure the air sinks causing few clouds to form and being really sunny. low-pressure air rises causing many clouds to form that bring much rain. orographic effect the precipitation that occurs when moist air rises up the side of a mountain. as the air rises, it cools down and releases most of it's moisture as rain or snow. upwind against the direction that the wind is blowing. downwind in the direction that the wind is blowing. rain shadow a dry area on the downwind side of a mountain. tropical cyclone a severe storm with high winds spiral around center. depending on where they are formed, they are called hurricanes, typhoons, or cyclones. drought an unusually long period in which little or no rain falls. semiarid climate hot, dry summers and cool, dry winters. samas a wild edible grass. how do monsoons affect the climate in south asia? drought/flood and disease. why is india considered a subcontinent? the himalayan mountain range cuts india off from south asia and the peninsula is very large. what is the ratio of people on earth who live in south asia? one out of every five people live in south asia. what does high-pressure mean in relation to the weather? sunny and dry. what does low pressure mean in relation to the weather? cloudy and rainy. how does climate influence human activity and south asia? it effects transportation and schools and the businesses close. where is the "blue city" and why are the houses supposedly painted blue? jodhpur, india. the houses are painted blue to keep away mosquitoes. which crops thrive in lots of water? sugar cane, rice, tea and tobacco. which crops thrive in drought? sugar beets and samas. which one of these is the strongest