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sometimes igniting wildfires, and the storms often bring gusty winds that fan the
fires.In the Southwest, lightning has ignited more than 2,300 fires annually since
2001, burning on average approximately 277,000 acres per year. Those figures,
however, represent a mere fraction of the number of lightning strikes.Between 1996
and 2005, an average of 673,320 lightning bolts touched down in Arizona each
year, according to Ron Halle, meteorologist and consultant for Vaisala Inc., a
company that monitors lightning.During July and August, Arizona receives a similar
number of lightning strikes as Florida, Halle said. With a lightning season that
stretches more than six monthsat least twice as long as TucsonsFlorida is
considered the lightning capital of the United States.The most active lightning
region in North America, however, is only a few hundred miles southeast of Tucson.
Twice as many lightning bolts strike the Sierra Madre of Mexico than in Florida, said
Pytlak.
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 September or
October and ends sometime in May or June. There may, however, be wide variations from year
to year.[2]
Throughout the rest of the year, the Philippines experiences the west or southwest wind; south
west monsoon,[1] 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.
Hanging Habagat or Southwest Monsoon is a south western monsoon which comes during the months of
June-September. The Thar Desert and adjoining areas of the northern and central Indian subcontinent
heats up considerably during the hot summers, which causes a low pressure area over the northern and
central Indian subcontinent. To fill this void, the moisture-laden winds from the Indian Ocean rush in to the
subcontinent. These winds, rich in moisture, are drawn towards the Himalayas, creating winds blowing
storm clouds towards the subcontinent. The Himalayas act like a high wall, blocking the winds from
passing into Central Asia, thus forcing them to rise. With the gain in altitude of the clouds, the temperature
drops and precipitation occurs. Some areas of the subcontinent receive up to 10,000 mm (390 in) of rain.
Hanging Amihan or Northeast Monsoon comes from within September. Around September, with the sun
fast retreating south, the northern land mass of the Indian subcontinent begins to cool off rapidly. With this
air pressure begins to build over northern India, the Indian Ocean and its surrounding atmosphere still
holds its heat. This causes the cold wind to sweep down from the Himalayas and Indo-Gangetic Plain
towards the vast spans of the Indian Ocean south of the Deccan peninsula.