This plain extends in a southeasterly direction from the Gulf of Khambhai to the southern tip of India. A somewhat wider coastal plain extends in a southwesterly direction from the mouth of the Mahanadi River to the southernmost tip of India. This coastal plain lies between the Bay of Bengal and the Eastern Ghat Mountains. Environmental South Asia's climate ranges from arctic temperatures in the high mountains to a temperate environment in the foothills and on the Indo-Gangetic plain to tropical conditions on the Deccan plateau. The climate is influenced by the monsoon, which brings alternating periods of wet and dry weather.
Monsoon is a term that means seasonal winds.
In the summer time, winds primarily blow in from the sea and bring moisture. This period is called the wet monsoon. During the winter season, winds blow out from the center of the continent toward the sea and convey much less moisture. This period is known as the dry monsoon. The amount of rainfall varies widely from an average of less than 10 inches a year in the northwest to more than 200 inches in the northeast.