The S Asian monsoon typically drives summer rains in S Asia, SW China, & mainland SE Asia. This year, an unusual monsoon pattern is driving severe droughts in the upper Ganges, upper Mekong, & throughout the Yangtze, affecting livelihoods of hundreds of millions of people. 1/9 Instead of originating in the Bay of Bengal, this year’s monsoon began in the Arabian Sea & moved north. This drives aforementioned drought & extreme flooding in Pakistan, which displaced over 33 million & killed over 1000 people in the worst flash flooding event in memory. 2/9