Portal:Tropical cyclones/Featured article/Monsoon trough

The monsoon trough, also known as the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ), is depicted by a line on a weather map showing the locations of minimum sea level pressure within the monsoon region, and is a convergence zone between the wind patterns of the southern and northern hemispheres. As such, westerly monsoon winds lie in its equatorward portion while easterly trade winds exist poleward of the trough. Right along its axis, heavy rains can be found which usher in the peak of a location's respective rainy season. As it passes poleward of a location, hot and dry conditions develop.

Several regions worldwide qualify as monsoon regions, such as western Mexico, the far western north Pacific Ocean and north Indian Ocean near southeast Asia, the far western south Pacific Ocean near Australia, central South America, the eastern tropical Pacific, and the west coast of Africa. The term is most commonly used in the Pacific ocean. Monsoon depressions and tropical cyclones form in the vicinity of the monsoon trough, with each capable of producing a year's worth of rainfall in a relatively short time frame. The migration of the monsoon trough into a landmass such Asia, Australia, North America, or across Africa heralds the beginning of their annual rainy season during their summer months.

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