Seasonal change

Cambodia has a tropical monsoon climate. The humid southwestern monsoon arrives in mid May and lasts to November dumping 80% of Cambodias annual rainfall in short torrential showers often involving thunder and lightning and very often causing flooding. In most places the flooding disappears as soon as it had appeared.....in most places.

The Asian monsoon occurs because of the temperature difference between the land and the Indian Ocean. During the summer, the land gets hotter than the ocean. Hot air over the land rises and cool, moisture rich air from the ocean rushes in to take its place. When this moisture filled air is pushed up by mountains or some other source of lift it cools and condenses into torrential rains. I noticed on the BBC channel this morning the band of monsoon rain inching up the Indian subcontinent is a bit early. Although we have had a few heavy thunder storms in the past few weeks today I realised we had had a little monsoon storm at the almost exactly same time the last three days....the season has begun and right on time.

Can you see the rain?

Maybe you need to look a little closer...

A love a good thunder storm, a decent drop of rain, it usually has the effect of cleaning all the dirt and grime away and I no longer have to worry about standing out in the sun watering wilting browning pot plants. In Phnom Penh though, with very fragile sewerage systems and a significant amount of public urination (I dont even want too think about the other) it has the opposite effect in a lot of places. No playing in the puddles here!