Ladakh Development Foundation

   video of downpour

The Himalayas have long been considered a barrier to the monsoon rains that fall over much of India. Moisture that reaches the worlds' highest peaks falls as snow and prevents precipitation from falling on the high altitude plateaus to the north of the peaks. Indeed, yearly rainfall in Ladakh is usually between 3 and 6 inches.

The summer of 2006 was a notable exception. Beginning on the 28th of July it rained nearly continuously for the entire month of August. This nearly continuous rain caused untold problems that Ladakhi's had never seen.

It is not known if the 2006 rainfall was an anomaly or if this is the beginning of a permanent change in rainfall patterns in this desert region.