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How do mountains create rain shadows in Asia?

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A map of the continent of Asia, including its countries, boundaries, and capital cities, as well as parts of Europe, Africa, and surrounding oceans. — Asia Map showing the countries and national capitals of Asia.

In Asia, mountains create rain shadows through a process known as orographic precipitation. When moist, prevailing winds encounter a mountain range, the air is forced upward along the windward slopes. As this air rises, it cools and its moisture condenses, resulting in heavy rain or snow on the windward side.123

By the time the air crosses the mountain ridge, it has been largely depleted of its moisture. As this air descends on the leeward side, it becomes warmer and drier, often creating a rain shadow—a region of significantly reduced rainfall. In some cases, these leeward slopes also experience the foehn effect, where the descending air becomes a warm, gusty, and erratic wind.3124

This phenomenon is highly pronounced across Asia, particularly in the Himalayas. For example, the range forces southwesterly monsoon winds to release their moisture on the Indian side, leaving regions like Tibet in an arid rain shadow. Similar climatic contrasts occur in the Elburz Mountains, the Tien Shan range, and across various parts of Japan and Taiwan.32