The Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) is a band around our planet where the winds from the Southern and Northern Hemispheres rub against each other. The resulting convergence causes air to rise and is an ideal place for tropical storms to form. Generally near the equator, the ITCZ changes position depending on the effects of the Sun and seasonal cycles. Usually, there is one ITCZ, but sometimes a double ITCZ can form. Land beneath the ITCZ receives much more rain (up to 200 days annually) than land areas outside the zone, and shifts in the zone can lead to wet or dry weather.