average monthly record from 1950-2000. Primarily due to the high altitude, it seldom gets truly hot in Mawsynram. Average monthly temperatures range from around 11 °C in January to just above 20 °C in August. The village also experiences a brief but noticeably drier season from December until February, when monthly precipitation on average does not exceed . The little precipitation during the village's "low sun" season is something that is shared by many areas with this type of climate. The following table is a comparison of rainfalls for Cherrapunji and Mawsynram between 1970 and 2010. Three reasons can be cited for high rainfall at Mawsynram: The warm moist winds of the northward-moving air from the Bay of Bengal during the monsoon, which cover an extensive area but are forced to converge into the narrower zone over the Khasi Hills, thus concentrating their moisture. The alignment of the Khasi Hills (east to west) places them directly in the path of the airflow from the Bay of Bengal, producing a significant uplift (plus cooling, further condensation and thus more rain). Finally, uplift over the Khasi Hills is virtually continuous in the monsoon period because the lifted air is constantly being pulled up by vigorous winds in the upper atmosphere; hence, the rainfall is more or less continuous. Natural landmarks Located in Mawsynram, is a cave named Mawjymbuin, known for its stalagmites. Inside this cave is a pair of notable speleothems - stalactites shaped like a cow's udder over a large stalagmite. The area is known for its many caves, both commercialized and non-commercialized. References Middleton, Nick. Going to Extremes. Pan, 2012. External links The Tribune (India) - The dispute between Mawsynram and Cherrapunji for the title of "wettest place on earth" Villages in East Khasi Hills district Weather extremes of Earth Geography of Meghalaya