Monsoon interactive

June 15 marks the start of the monsoon, which can generate dangerous storms across the Valley over the next few months.

The monsoon is a shifting of winds which happens in the Southwest in the summer and can bring rainstorms that both benefit the area, and have the potential to cause a great deal of havoc. According to the National Weather Service, the intense heat of Arizona’s deserts can create a drop in air pressure called a thermal low. That air pressure draws moist, cooler air, creating an unstable situation that turns into a thunderstorm.

The rain from those thunderstorms increases humidity over the land triggers more thunderstorms, and the cycle continue until cool air arrives in the fall.

Monsoon quiz