NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — For this week’s Weather Authority University, we’re debunking myths around the phenomena monsoon.

Contrary to popular belief, monsoon doesn’t mean it’s going to rain.

What is a monsoon?

Monsoon actually refers to a large-scale shift of the winds, driven by a pressure change.

However, that shift often coincides with wet weather.

In fact, that’s what we’re seeing in the desert Southwest currently.

States like Arizona experience an annual monsoon during the summer as a large area of high pressure called the Bermuda High stretches west.

As a result, the wind shifts, and sometimes that correlates to increased moisture from the Pacific Ocean, and the Gulf of California.

In that case, the desert Southwest can see intense rainfall, and a lot of severe weather.

That’s what Arizona has experienced with the monsoon this year- a major shift from the last two years, when the monsoon hardly brought any additional moisture to the region.