The sheltered side of a mountain or island, facing away from the prevailing wind. Typically drier (rain shadow).
basicWhat is Leeward (Lee Side)?
The leeward side of mountains receives less rainfall because air descending on the downwind side warms and dries (the föhn/foehn effect). Classic Southeast Asian examples: central Myanmar (Bagan) is leeward of the Rakhine Mountains; north coast East Timor is leeward of the central range; central Java is drier than the western and southern coasts.
Key points
- The sheltered side of a mountain or island, facing away from the prevailing wind. Typically drier (rain shadow).
- Category: basic
Related terms
See also: lee-side is connected to other weather concepts. Browse the full glossary for related definitions.