 NORTHEAST MONSOON

The period October to December is referred to as Northeast Monsoon season over

peninsular India.
Northeast Monsoon season is the major period of rainfall activity over south
peninsula, particularly in the eastern half comprising of the meteorological
subdivisions of Coastal Andhra Pradesh, Rayalaseema and Tamilnadu-
Pondicherry. For Tamilnadu this is the main rainy season accounting for about
48% of the annual rainfall. Coastal districts of the State get nearly 60% of the
annual rainfall and the interior districts get about 40-50% of the annual rainfall.
Though the principal rainy season for Interior Karnataka, Kerala and
Lakshadweep is the Southwest Monsoon season, rainfall continues till December
in these sub-divisions, the period October-December (Northeast Monsoon )
contributing about 20 % of the annual total.
The increase in rainfall activity over Andhra-Tamilnadu coasts which takes place
sometime around middle of October is generally considered as the "setting in of
Northeast Monsoon". Normal date of onset of the northeast monsoon is around 20
October with a deviation of about a week on either side.
The rainfall over south peninsula towards the end of southwest monsoon season
is mainly in the interior districts and it generally occurs in the afternoon , evening
or early part of the night. As the season advances the rainfall is mainly in the
coastal districts with the interior districts getting less rain. It generally occurs
during night and early morning hours . Maximum rainfall mostly occurs between
2100 and 0300 hrs IST. Along the east coast rainfall during late night and
morning hours (2400 to 0900 hrs) is an usual feature of northeast monsoon.
When there is a low, depression or cyclone close by the rainfall occurs throughout
the day.
Northeast monsoon rains occur in spells of about 3 to 4 days duration. Spells
exceeding 4 days are much less (20%). There are at times long spells of dry
weather with little or no rain.
  SOUTHWEST MONSOON
The period June to September is referred to as the 'Southwest Monsoon' period.
Southwest Monsoon period is the principal rainy season for the Indian
subcontinent. This is the summer monsoon period where the southwest monsoon
holds away over the country. The whole country receives nearly 75% of its
rainfall during this period.
Southwest monsoon sets in over the extreme southwestern tip of the peninsula by
the end of May. The onset of Monsoon is characterized by a sudden spurt of
rainfall activity. It progresses inland in stages and covers the entire country by
the middle of July.
It starts retrieving from the extreme northwest by the beginning of September,
progressively receding southwards. Tamil Nadu is considered as a rain shadow
region as it lies on the eastern (leaward side) side of western ghats. The total
annual rainfall is maximum over the southernmost part of the state.

 HABAGAT AND AMIHAN

In the Philippines, Amihan refers to the season dominated by the trade winds,
which are experienced in the Philippines as a cool northeast wind.[1] It is
characterized by moderate temperatures, little or no rainfall, and a prevailing
wind from the east.
As a rule of thumb, the Philippines' amihan weather pattern begins sometime in
November or December and ends sometime in May or June. There may, however,
be wide variations from year to year.
Throughout the rest of the year, the Philippines experiences the west or southwest
wind; south west monsoon, which in turn is referred to as the Habagat. The
habagat season is characterized by hot and humid weather, frequent heavy
rainfall, and a prevailing wind from the west.
The main indicator of the switch between the amihan and habagat seasonal
patterns is the switch in wind direction. In most years this transition is abrupt and
occurs overnight. In some years there is a period of perhaps a week or two where
the wind will switch between amihan and habagat patterns several times before
settling into the pattern for the new season.