What is Peninsular Convergence?

Peninsular Convergence produces a line of heavy showers inland, whilst coasts only a few miles away stay dry.

How does this form?

Winds travel over the sea faster than over land. When the wind hits land as well as slowing it also changes direction a little bit.

This small change in direction means the winds in the north of the peninsular ‘converge’ with the winds in the south. This is the convergence line.

Where the winds collide the air is forced up, and it’s this rising air that forms cloud. The rising air cools and condenses forming clouds and rain. The longer the winds remain in the same direction, the longer the rain will continue to fall.