Wind currents are caused by uneven heating of the Earth's surface by the Sun. Near the equator, warm air rises and moves towards the poles, where it cools and sinks at around 30 degrees north and south latitude, creating high pressure zones. Differences in temperature and pressure between the equator and poles drive global wind patterns, including monsoon winds which change seasonally in places like India. During the summer, warm land heats the air over India, creating low pressure and pulling in moisture-laden southwest winds from the ocean. In winter, the sea is warmer, reversing the wind direction to drier northeast winds blowing from land to sea.