3 CLIMATE 121

atimnsphre wlatnr Cnolnon

3 0 - 36 oP more
yeapt Po
India is home to a wide variety of climatic regions,

ranging from tropical in the south below the Tropic of

Cancer, to temperate climate above the Tropic. Further
north, it changes to Alpine climate in the vicinity of
the Himalayas, where elevated regions receive sustained
winter snowfall.

Regional variations lend a lot of diversity to the climate

of India. Contrast in temper ture and rainfall conditions

Inside the Chapter are

conspicuous. For examplethe region around the Thar
Monsoon Climate Desert is extremely arid with average annual rainfall of

Factors less than 25 cmwhile Mawsynranm and Cherrapunji on

Affecting the Climate of India
the Khasi Hills, are some of the wettest areas of
Latitude and the Role the
of the Tropic world with annual rainfall
of Cancer exceeding 1100 cm.The
The Role of the Himaloayas coastal regions of India have an equable climate, neither
Inffuence of the Waterbodies too hot nor too cold, due to the moderating influence of
the seas. Dn the other hand the
Impact of the Monsoon Winds Northern Plains of India
have a distinct continental
Presence of Other Relief Features type of climate, characterised
by extremely hot summers and very cold winters. This
Altitude
is because they are located
Upper Air Circulation away from the sea, in the
continental interiors.
The El Niño Effect

Features of the Indian Climate TROPICAL MONSOON CLIMATE

Seasons in India The climate of India can be summed up as
the tropical
The Cold Season (December to monsoon type because of the
immense influence of the
Februar monsoon winds.| In fact, the whole of South Asia is
T h e Hot Season (March to May)
affected by these winds.Uhe term 'monsoon' is deriyed
Monsoon Season (June to from the Arabic word mnausim meaning season. Thus,
September) monsoon winds are those which blow from sea to land
Seasons of the Retreating Monsoon
(October and November) (onshore) in one season and from land to sea (offshore)
in the other.) A complete reversal of direction
Characteristics of Monsoons over the
course of a year is the dominant feature of
Land and Sea Breeze and Monsoon monsoon
winds.
Why Is Thar a Desert?
Distribution of Rainfall
Aghed pamla
80
y cherrpujv
Mautswnram
MR9halade
 Hapryaga adija Cuekn
FACTORS AFFECTING THE EGAViakapgbiam
climate. The occurrence of land breeze and
OF INDIA sea breeze causes moderate temperature
Latitudes and the Role of the conditions to prevail throughout the year
Tropic of Cancer Places in the interior have continental"
ctimate, marked by very hot summers and
A wekrow, latitudes determine the cold dry winters. This is because they are
temperature or heat zones of the world In far from the moderating influence of the sea.
terms of temperature conditions prevailing This explains why places such as Delhi and
over India, the influence of the Tropic of
is
Lucknow experience a high annual range of
Cancer distinguishable. Regions
very temperature, which cities such as Mumbai
south of the Tropic of Cancer belong to the and Chennai do not.
Torrid Zone, where the Sun's rays are more
These waterbodies also provide moisture to
direct and these regions experience warm
the summer monsoon winds which bring
temperature for most parts of the year.
Places, further to the south are closer to the heavy rainfall to many parts of India.
equator and are hence very hot throughout
the year. Hopact of the Monsoon Winds
During summer, due to differential heating
Places to the north of the Tropic of Cancer,
of land and sea,(the south-east trade winds
belong to the Warm Temperate orSubtropical
Zone and have distinct summer and winter cross the equator and in accordance with/
seasonS. Ferrel's Law, deflect to their right to enter
India as(south-west manseon-winde)These
The Role of the Himalayas winds bring heavy rain to most parts of
India from June to September. The amount
The high wall of the Himalayas acts as
of rainfall is controlled by various factors
an effective climatic barrier, protecting the
and hence varies from region to region. For
Northern Plains of India from the bitterly example, the deserts of Rajasthan and interior
cold winds that originate near the Arctic
parts of the Deccan Plateau receive very low
Circle and blow over Central Asia. Thus, rainfall, while some areas of Meghalaya
the Himalayas save the Northern Plains
the of India) from and Andaman and Nicobar Islands receive
(identified as 'granary extremely heavy rainfall.
the severity of cold during winter.
During winter, due to change intemperature
Themountain wall intercepts the moisture
atmospheric pressure conditions are altered,
laden/monsoon windsand helps in bringing
causing the monsoons to retreat. The wind
rainfall to mostparts of the country
plenty of direction gradually gets reversed and they
from June to September. euth-wes begin to blow offshore fromland to sea.
These are known as the north-east monsoon
Tnfluence of the Waterbodies wumds winds.) As the winds are dry, they hardly
The waterbodies of South Asia, i.e. the bring any rainfall to most parts of India.
Indian Ocean, Bay of Bengal and Arabian
However, when these winds pick up
moderating influence on the
Sea, exert a
moisture om the Bay of Bengal, they cause
climate of the coastal areas. They are neither
rain along the coastal parts of Tamil Nadu
too cold in winter nor too warm in summer and southern Andhra Pradesh.
They, thus, have an equable or 'maritime

o o ou&nbi) CLIMATE 81
 albaSakba
doresuon
Ltropina
kresuiow

N D

BAYOF
ARABIAN BENGAL

SOUTHWIKS
SEA
KtHLnOS
CURRENT)
NSOONWIN
(ARABIAN

O
SEA

HONY8
0

VONEE
A 0

R 15LANDS

INDIAN OCEAN Map not to S c a

Direction of south-west monsoon winds

Presence of Other Relief Features This explains why Mumbai on the west
Relief features, other than the Himalayas, coast is wetter than Pune on the eastern side
also play a very important role in shaping of the Ghats. In the same way
Shillong on
the climate of India. The western or the the leeward side of the Meghalaya
Plateau)
windward slopes of(the Western Ghats receives much less rain from the Bay of

get heavy rainfall because they intercept Bengal branch of the south-west monsoon
the south-west monsoon winds from the winds compared to Cherrapunji on the
Arabian Sea windward slope.
In sharp contrast, vast areas ofMaharashtra, Position of hills and mountains are also
Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu a determinant factor. For example, due
lie in the rain-shadow or leeward side of the to its north-south
alignment, the Aravali
Western Ghats) and receive scanty rainfall. Ranges do not intercept the wet winds

82 CLIMATE

isert ?
 from the Arabian Sea
and thus western Lo Preadupe
Rajasthan remains deptr esdi
WESTERN
very dry. On the DISTURBANCES
other hand, the
east-west alignment
of the Himalayas
enables the mountain
to intercept the
monsoon winds and
bring rain to large
parts of northern
India.

Akttude N D A

Places located on higher

elevations from the sea
level such as the ones BAYOF
located in the Northern
ARABIAN ooNV BENGAL
SEA
Mountains remain AON

cold throughout the NORTH-EAsMT O

year. In Normal Lapse

Rate, for every 1000 m
ascent, there is a drop
of 6°C in temperature.
This is why towns and
cities in the plains such
as Patna, Prayagraj
(formerly Allahabad),
o u P g Summ ISLANDS
Lucknow and Varanasi INDIA OCEAN Map not to scale

are warmer than

Direction of the north-east monsoon winds
hill stations such as
Darjeeling, Nainital, Shimla and Mussoorie. Himalayas act as a barrier in their path and
This explains why the average annual subsequently the jet stream/is divided into the
temperature of Kodaikanal is only 16°C while easterly jet and the westerly jet.
WeateP
that of Madurai is 29°C though they are
The westerly jet draws tempgraté cyclonés ueOS
both located in Tamil Nadu, separated by a
disturbances into north-west
or western
distance of about 100 km only.) the
India. These depressions originate from
bopper Air Circulation Caualhoed regions around the Mediterranean Sea and
bring winter rainfall to the north-western
Upper air circulation or (jet stream plays states of Punjab, Haryana, Uttarakhand
an important role in the mechanism of the and western Uttar Pradesh. They also cause
monsoons. Jet stream is a swift blowing wind heavysnowfallin the higheraltitudes of the
nat is prevalent at a height of 3 to 5 km Himalayan regions of Jammu and Kashmir
above the subtropical high-pressure belt. The Ladakh and Himachal Pradesh.)
cUate
nhuenneug the VeATE 83
 loud presdupt etrabnepmpli tempepalur
ddue fo
CMamy
Theeastrly jet is responsible for bringing basic monsóon Winds control the
tropicaldepressions over India. These mate
sepfessions also play a significant role in the
of India-south-west monsoon winds in
summer and north-east monsoon winds in
distribution of rainfall as they control the in
winter. A monsoon 1s a wind that
changes
o n s e t and departure of monsoons in India. directions according to the seasons. It
blows
moist air from the ocean to the land
Fhe El Nino Effect MeP tirsummer and blows dry offshore winds in
in

Cum
The cold Peruvian Current keeps he
western Pacific Ocean colder than the Indian
Aewinter. Nowhere else in the world is the
monsoon climate as well-marked as in the
Ocean due to which low pressure conditions Indian subcontinent.
remain prevalent here. However, at times, °Development of tropical depressions or
(warm current) called El Niño appears
a
cyclones over the Bay of Bengal
off
the coast of Peru in South America in
December. The warm water of the Pacific Towards the end of the monsoon
season,
Ncean causes Trade Winds to reverse their cyclones may be originating Over the Bay of
Cha
directions. Hence the moisture laden winds Bengal and Andaman Sea that bring heavy
Vthat should have moved towards the Indian rains and storms along the Andhra Pradesh
d w coast now move towards the Peruvian coast and Odisha coasts. They may also cause
X L bringing a lot of rain there. This deprives the devastating floods during the retreating
umo Indian, subçontinent of its share of monsoon monsoon season in October and November.
rainsN
O

t The rainfall decreases further south.

ettthg adeapual,tl cyclones travel in a north-westerly direction
These
The El Niño conditions coincide withh aual
of weak monsoon and
a
periðd h ceg and weaken along the Arabian Sea coast of
higher temperatures
in India. This results in a deficit
rainfall
that increases the probability of drought.
This could adversely impact the
production
Pakistan4eter rainfal
Decurrencé "of winter rainfall in specific
parts of the country:
of summer crops such as rice, sugar cane, Another feature of the Indian climate is
cotton and oilseeds.
the occurrence of winter
rainfall in north-
western India due to
EATURES OF THE INDIAN CLIMATE westerly depressions or
temperate cyclones originating in the region
,Diversity in climatic conditions of theMediterranean Sea. The Coromandel
Owing to its vast size and varied topography, Coast also receives
slight showers during
the Indian subcontinent has varied climatic o Winter from the north-east monsoon winds.
conditions, not only from one season to Presence of four distinct seasons in the
another, but also from one region to another. year. They are as follows:
India has equatorial, tropical, semi-arid,
temperate or Arctic climate. The cold and dry winter season-December
to February
Tropical monsoon-type of climate due to 2. The hot and
dry summer season-March to
dominance of the monsoon
mechanism: May
Though the continent of Asia has varied 3. The
advancing monsoon season or rainy
climatic conditions, the general climate of season-June to September
India is the tropical monsoon 4. The season of
type.
Two the retreating monsoon
October and November

0mg
La
84 CLIMATE
 SEASONS IN INDIA

The Cold Seasobn

(December c-1618 mb
to February) . REFERENCES
-.
Average temperature Isobars
all across India 1019 mb: Winds

begins to drop after

the departure of the 1018 mb

monsoon. The cobol

weather begins too
HIGH
set in by about the
1017mb .
middle of October. The
Sun's rays do not fall 1017 mb
vertically on any part
1 0 1m
6 b
N D

of the subcontinent
J 0 1m
7 b

after the apparent

A 1016
mb
movement of the
Sun to the southern ARA'BIAN BAY QF
SEA BENGAL
hemisphere, after -
1015mb

September 23, the day

of autumnal equinox.

Clear cloudless skies,)

1014
mb

11 fine cool weather

light northerly winds 1013 mb

andlow humidit) are

characteristics of this AR ISLANDSs
season. LOW

INDIAN OCEAN Map not to scale

Temperature Pressure and wind in India (in January)

decreases from south
Temperature general
in
it is 16°C at Varanasi, located in the Northern
to north of India. The mean temperature is
Plains. It drops to 3°C at Srinagar, which is
(10°-15°C),
lower in the north of the country located further to the north of the country.
it is higher,
while in the east and south
the
ranging between 20° to 25°C.January is
low, often sub-zeroPressure

coldest month Very mountainous The land cools faster than the sea. As a result,
in the
temperatures are recorded
where precipitation a high pressuredevelops Central Asia and the
high altitudes of the north, landlocked regions of the north and north-
snowfall. Places in the
is mostly in the form of
interior are also comparatively colder than the
western India (Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and
Coastal areas owing to their continentality. For Kashmir, Haryana and Punjab). The waterbodies
example, while the
m e a n January temperature aroundthe peninsular India are relatively warm
the coast, is about 25°C, and remain as regions of low pressure.
in Chennai, located on

CLIMATE 85
 Winds over the Bay of Bengal, where they pick p

Winds begin to blow from the high-pressure moisture and blow

towards the Tamil Nadu
area over the land to the low pressure area coast as north-east monsoon winds. In general.

over the sea. These are offshore winds and the winds are variable.

normally do not bring rain. Due to the

topography of India, they move in a westerly whter Rainfall
or north-westerly direction down the Ganga Coast (South-east Coast): The
a. Tamil Nadu
valley and in a northerly direction in the north-east monsoon winds, which cross
Ganga Delta. Following the path of the North- the Bay of Bengal in October, meet with
east Trade Winds, they become north-easterly
TeiLNaduu CeQAVeSPAnslall
Westerly
Depression h eee

a ar
January
February
Rebeang atwsav
South west mo
hwds (enlip

N D

RetreatingMonsoon
ARABIAN
SEA
NorthEastMonsoon BAY OF
BENGAL
Off
Shore
(Dec-Feb) ooo

Oct-Nov
And

REFERENCES
Rainfall in cm
10-20
5-10
1-5
0-1
Winds

INDIAN OCEAN Map not to scale

Rainfall in winter in India

86 CLIMATE
Pwjab aas et he petealwg
Monson
 the damp wind of the retreating summer time to absorb heat. Thus,
monsoon and blow directly along the Tamil
strong pressure
a

gradient gets established from the subtropical

Nadu coast giving that region the wettest high-pressure belt in the Indian Ocean, south
and most disturbed weather of the whole of the equator, to the low-pressure trough
year. Heavy rains accompanied by stormy over the Northern Plains. By May, the low
winds, sweep over the south-east coastal pressure area begins to intensify all across the
region, sometimes causing great damage Northern Plains.
to the crops and disrupting normal life.
Tamil Nadu receives about 70 cm of rainfall Places at high altitudes, such as Shimla,
Nainital, Darjeeling and Mussoorie, however,
between the months of October and January.
are cooler. The coastal regions have more
b. North-west India: Parts of Punjab, equable temperatures because of the
Haryana, Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal moderating influence of the sea.
Pradesh, northern Rajasthan, Uttarakhand
and western Uttar Pradesh receive light- Winds
to-moderate rainfall, due to the western Local winds gain prominence at this time.
disturbances (temperate cyclones), Some of them are as follows:
originating from the Mediterranean Sea
Loo is a hot, dry and dusty wind that
region. This rain isbeneficial to the rabi blows in summer during the afternoons. It
crops, especially wheat and barley. The
Himalayas receive a considerable amount of originates in Rajasthan and blows over the
snowfall due to these cyclonic depressions. Northern Plains covering Punjab, Haryana,
Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. It causes
The Hot Season (March to May) heatwaves that may prove fatal for many.
Due to the apparent movement of the sun Thunderstorms accompanied by rain are
northwards, its vertical rays now advance common in the coastal regions of Kerala
towards the Tropic of Cancer (23°N). and Karnataka. They are known as mango
The belt of maximum temperature moves showers since they are important for early
northward from the southern parts of the ripening of mangoes or cherry blossom
Indian peninsula towards the Northern Plains, showers in coastal Kerala and Karnataka.
during March and April. They are favourable for the growth of tea
and coffee crops. a o showent
Temperature
Very high temperatures are recorded, Nor'westers or Kalbaishakhi dust
bring
storms with heavy rain accompanied
especially in the continental interiors. The
SOuthern parts of the peninsula and the coastal1 by thunder and lightning to the state of
a maximum temperature of about West Bengal. It gives some respite during
plainsrecord the oppressive summer months though
Plains recordd
35C. Most parts of the Northern
a maximum temperature exceeding 40°C. In the high wind speed may also be the
the north-western interiors of Rajasthan, the cause of immense destruction of life and
may exceed 45°C(This property. The name Kalbaishakhi literally
naximum temperature
low-pressure belt to means 'calamity in the month of Baisakh
high temperature causes a
build up here. The surrounding waterbodies However, this rain is very beneficial for
are centres of high pressure as water takes the growth of the rice and jute crops.

CLIMATE 87
 REFERENCES

Isobars
Winds

.
997 mb LOW

999mb

1000 mb

1002 mb
BAY OF
ARABAN
- 5EA-
1006 mb
1004 mb BENG A4L

1008 mb

S
- ----

INDIAN OCEAN a p n o t t o scalee

Pressureand wind in India (in July)

Northern
Nor westers of Assam are known as Bardoli pressure region to develop over the
Plains, known as the monsoon trough. This low
Cheerha and are immensely favourable for
winds
the tea crops. pressure attracts the moisture-bearing
trom the surrounding waterbodies, where high

Season June to pressure prevails. In the process,(the South-east

Monsoon
Trade Winds from the southern hemisphere are
September) attracted towards the low pressure over north
As discussed earlier, the intense heat that western India. On crossing the equator, they
subcontinent causes a low-
prevails in the Indian
wud
ow do mauon

88 CLIMATE
otiginale
Tndria
 Srinagar
p a m & h a p l e t

Shimla
ChandigarhooDehra Dun

Delhi
15June
Jaipur
Lucknow SU TGuwahati
O

Patha
Shillong
June A oIrmphal
Ahmedabad
15
June Bhopal Ranchi KolkataGD
N D
.
Raipur
Bhubaneshwar
Mumbaio 10

ARABIAN OHyderabad BAYOF

SEA 5H BENGAL
une
5June
1Jurne
Bengaluru
Chennai

aunf

Thiruvananthapuram

OCEAN
15LAND
INDIAN Map not to scale

Onsetofmonsoon in India

due
are deflected to their right and blow over the established, attracting masses of moist air from
Indian subcontinent as the south-west monsoon the high pressure over the southern Indian Ocean
and bring and Arabian Sea. (By mid-June, these strong
winds. These carry a lot of moisture
rain to large parts of India. They bring
relief and onshore south-west monsoon winds arrive,
earth. bringing torrential downpours accompanied by
8ive water to a parched and thirsty
thunder and lightning. This is known as the
intensifies
By June, the low-pressure depression burst of the monsoon
As
in the north-western part of the country.
increases between Because of the penînsular shape of India,
the difference in pressure
the south-west winds split into
land and water, a strong pressure gradient gets monsoon

Tawl Nod ud atnalaka CLIMATE 89

 CharCekepi&acs
depr epao
branches: the adAO 1edlteem nalire
two
bueimds
Arabian Sea branch
wweMenloy ottt
and the Bay of
Bengal branch. oroe roghet

The Arabian
Sea Branch of
the South-west
Monsoon
The volume of rain
from the Arabian
Sea branch is almost
three times more

than that of the Bay of

Bengal branch. This N D
branch approaches
the south-west coast
of India by end-
May or early-June.
Kerala, located in the
ARABIAN
SEA
A
uoosWinouoW BAYOF
BENG AL
south-west Corner

of peninsular India, Onshore

is the first state to
receive the south-
REFERENCES
Rainfall in cm
jCew
west monsoon rains. above2500
150-250
The high Western 50-1
Ghats force the moist 30-50
10-30
air to rise quite high. below 10
Winds
Heavy rain (i.e., 200-
250 cm) falls on the uo suoNX ISLANDS
windward slopes of INDIAN OCEAM O a p 2 o to scale

the Western Ghats. Rainfall in India (in July)

While the leeward side receives only 60 cm
Pradesh, Jharkhand and Odisha giving moderate
of rainfall. Towards the interior of the Deccan
rainfall to these regions. Part of this wind enters
Plateau, the rain shadow area receives stil lesSs. the Narmada Valley and causes good amount of
Further east, towards Chennai, only 30 to 40
rainfall in the Chota Nagpur Plateau.
cm of rain is received. The winds progressively
deposit less rainfall from west to east, for Further north, a section of these winds passes
example, Mumbai 200 cm, to Chennai about over Rajasthan without depositing much rainfall
40 cm, and from south to north, for example, there. This is because the Aravali Range runs
Thiruvananthapuram about 325 cm, Goa 300 cm almost parallel to the direction of this branch
and Mumbai 200 cm. and do not form a barrier to intercept the

After crossing the Ghats, the monsoon winds winds. The Thar Desert in western Rajasthan 1s
blow across the plateau and reach Madhya especially very arid. While blowing along the
Aravali Range, the monsoon winds goes straight
90 CLIMATE
 to the sub-Himalayan region giving rainfall to of the Western Ghats receives marginal rain
thefoothills of the western Himalayas, eastern from the Arabian Sea monsoon current. Thus
Punjab, Haryana and north-eastern Rajasthan. It the eastern coastal districts are much drier in
is here that it meets the Bay of Bengal branch summer than its counterpart in the west.
of the south-west monsoon winds.
During the monsoon season, strong winds and
The Bay of Bengal Branch of the wet spells last for a few days followed by a
South-west Monsoon period of weak winds or monsoon lull. This
leads to a dry spell between two wet spells.
The Bay of Bengal branch of the south-wees The normal duration of the monsoon in most
monsoon hits the Andaman and Nicobar
parts of India is 100 to 120 days but in Rajasthan
Islands in Bay of Bengal by end-May. From
it is 45 to 50 days, while it is a maximum of
there, these winds move northwards, picking
six months in Kerala. Temperatures are lower
up moisture from the vast expanse of the
Bay. These winds during the wet season due to cloudiness and
passing over the Ganga- rainfall.
Brahmaputra Delta strike against the lower
ranges of the Himalayas, Chittagong Hills and Arabian Sea Branch Bay of Bengal Branch
Assam Hills, and cause very heavy rainfall in
1. As it travels a It travels for a shorter
West Bengal, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh and
the southern slopes of the Khasi and Jaintia longer distance distance and hence it
Over water, it carries less moisture.
Hills. Cherrapunji, situated on the windward
carries more
slopes of the Khasi Hills, receives an annual moisture.
rainfall of over 1,250 cm which is one of the
heaviest in the world. One branch of the Bay 2. On entering India, It first traverses the
of Bengal current is deflected in the westerly it immediately delta of the Ganga and
direction, blowing from the south-east, between strikes the Brahmaputra before it
the Himalayas and the plateau of peninsular Western Ghats gets entrapped in the
India. The winds move up the Indo-Gangetic and brings heavy hills of the Meghalaya
Plain, parallel to the Himalayas. As the wind orographic rain Plateau, bringing
to thewesterrn | heavy rain to the
keeps shedding moisture, the precipitation
coast of India. windward slopes.
progressively decreases in quantity westwards
up to Jammu and Kashmir. From 250 cm in the
Ganga Delta to 100 cm at Patna, 50 cm at Delhi Season of the Retreating Monsoon
and 25 cm in the Indus Valley. (October and November)
This is a period of transition between the final
Marginal precipitation of about 25 cm is received withdrawal of the south-west monsoon and
on the eastern slopes of the Aravali Range, which
form a barrier to this wind. However, the Thar theregular setting in of the north-east winter
Desert, on the west of the Aravali Range, lies in mons0on.. With the apparent movement of the
the rain shadow for the south-west monsoon's sun south of the equator, the low-pressure area
over the north-western part of India weakens
Bay of Bengal branch and receives little or no
and the south-west monsoon starts
rainfall. Thus, arid conditions prevail here. withdrawing
from the subcontinent. By the beginning of
As this branch of the south-west monsoon flows
September, it withdraws from Rajasthan. It
parallel to the eastern coast of India, it fails retreats from Punjab and Haryana by mid-
to bring rainfall to the eastern coastal plains.
September and by the first week of October,
Moreover, this region lying on the leeward side th
the monsoon withdraws from most of
parts
-lau nam Gopo hle CLIMATE 91
Cheunl-
pelnla
 nagar

Shimla

Chandigarh Dehra Drpn

SDelhi
Ttanagar
s Jaiput
1 Sep
TGuwahati
LucknowN Kohima
Patna
Shillong
eImphal
Agartala
15
Sep
eApzaw
Ahmedabad Bhopal Ranchi
N D eKolkata8

Bhubaneshwar
Mumbai
15Ot
ARABIAN
Hyderabad BAY OF
SEA BENGAL
15
Nov

15
Oct

Bengalurg
N o N

Chennai

REFERENCE

Tropical Cycdones
in September
Thiruvananthapuram 1 5
D e c
R15LANDS

INDIAN OCEAN Map not to scale

Withdrawal of monsoons in India

north India. By mid-October, it withdraws from hot rainy season and cold dry season. By the
central India and by early November, southern beginning of November, fine weather conditions
India sees the last of the monsoon. Kerala is prevail all over the subcontinent.
the last state to receive rain, before monsoon
retreats completely from the subcontinent. Theretreat of the monsoon is a process much
slower than its arrival. The advance of the
south-west monsoon is towards the north and
Weather Conditions
its retreat is towards the south. The retreat ot
There is clear sky, low humidity and absence of
the monsoon does not imply a right abou
wind as the air becomes almost stagnant. Thee
turn but a gradual change of comparative
sultry and oppressive weather is referred to as
pressure position, thus gradually weakening
October heat. This is a transition between the
and reducing the area coverage and influence

92 LIMATE
 Kanniyakumari/ Kerala, incidentally, are the 3. Monsoon rains are orographic in nature
first places to see the monsoon aPpear and Amount of rainfall is largely influenced by
the last to see it depart. the location, position and alignment of hills
During this period, due to local variations and mountain ranges
of heat and moisture, tropical cyclones are 4. Monsoon brings rain in summer and is
common. They originate in the Andaman Sea concentrated between June and September.
and Bay of Bengal and travel west or north-
5. Monsoon rains determine the economic state
westwards. Strong winds, torrential rainfall and
high waves along the coast are associated with of the country by controlling the agricultural
the passage of tropical cyclones. The Tamil Nadu prosperity. The farmer's dependance on
monsoon is so great that crop failure is
and Andhra Pradesh coasts experience heavy
rainfall, high waves and strong winds from these integrally related to failure of monsoon.

cyclones which are often very destructive to life 6. Some regions of the country receive rains
and property. They usually occur in October- due to tropical depressions in the post
November. monsoon season while some from temperate
depressions in the winter season.
Temperate Cyclones Tropical Cyclones
They are of They are of thermal Variations in Rainfall
frontal origin and origin and develop The amount of rainfall received largely depends
largely develop over the tropical upon the location of a place. As we already
over landmasses seas like Andaman know, a place located on the leeward side will
of the temperate Sea and Bay of
get less rain than the one on the windward
zone around the Bengal side of a mountain or hill. The direction of the
Mediterranean Sea. mountain ranges is also of great significance
They bring light They cause heavy here. If the range lies parallel to the direction of
showers in the rainfall, strong the moisture-laden winds and does not form a
north-western winds and high barrier as in the case of the Aravali Range, very
India extending waves in the eastern little or no rainfall is deposited. On the other
Over several coastal districts. hand, if a mountain range intercepts wet winds,
weeks. Snowfall Their duration the region on the windward slope experiences
is experienced in is short, lasting heavy rainfall, for example, the windward
high altitudes of the over few minutes slopes of the Westerrn Ghats.
Himalayan states. or hours but are
Similarly, in the north-east, moisture-laden
potentially highly
destructive. south-west monsoon winds from the Bay of
Bengal branch get entrapped in a funnel shaped
eH OF MONS0ONS depression formed by the hills of the Meghalaya
Plateau like Garo, Khasi and Jaintia, resultingin
1. Monsoons are erratic in nature. Its time of
heavy rainfall (more than 1,250 cm) in some areas
arrival and departure is not fixed but varies
here. Cherrapunji, situated on the windward
from year to year.
slopes of the Khasi and Jaintia Hills, receives
2 Monsoons are unevenly spread and sporadic.
1,250 cm whereas Shillong on the leeward side
receive more than 500 cm while
Some regions is in the rain shadow area and receives only 250
of rain
Some others receive less than 50 cm
cm of rain per annum.
annually.

CLIMATE 93
Rainfall also varies with respect to whether the are equally well marked. While land and sea
place is located near the coast or in the interior. breezes reverse their direction during the course

Rainfall decreases progressively towards the of the day-land breeze blows at night and sea

interior as the winds become depleted of breeze during the day-the south-west and
moisture by the time they reach there. north-east monsoon winds do so seasonally in

summer and winter, respectively.

South-west Mons0on North-east Monsoon Sea breeze does not bring rainfall as the
period during which they blow is too short
Onshore winds for collecting moisture from the sea. Mons0on
They are by and
carrying immense large offshore winds winds on the other hand, bring rainfall as thev
moisture from the blowing from the pick up moisture while blowing over the vast
Arabian Sea, Indian Asian landmass expanse of the sea over a long period of time,
Ocean and Bay of towards the seas.

Bengal. While blowing overUWAY IS THAR A DESERT?

the Bay of Bengal, The Thar, situated in western Rajasthan, is a
they pick up some comparatively low-lying arid region flanked by
moisture that 1S
the Aravali Range in the east. The Thar region
eventually shed
receives less than 25 cm of annual rainfall and
along the eastern
is thus referred to as a desert. Its low rainfall
coastal plains.
may be attributed to the following reasons:
They blow from the They blow from the
The Arabian Sea branch of the South-West
south-west. north-east.
monsoon does not give much rainfall as
They cause They bring rain to the the Aravali Range which is parallel to these
widespread rain to Coromandel Coast ?winds does not form barriers to intercept
most parts of India. only. them.
They are active in the They are active in 2 h e Bay of Bengal branch of the south-west
hot, wet season from | the cold, dry season monsoon has little or no moisture left by
June to September. from November to the time it reaches the Thar region, atter
January. traversing the Ganga Valley. Little rain is
experienced on the eastern, windward side
LAND AND SEA BREEZE AND of the Aravali Ranges but no rain over Thar
MONSOON in the west, as it lies in the rain shadow area.
There are great similarities between monsoon
u Winter rain is
winds and land and sea breezes. Both are experienced here as the
not

caused due to the differential rate of heating north-east winter monsoon winds originate
in the Northern Plains and blow offshore.
and cooling of land and water. Also, both
reverse their direction periodically and derive 4 Thar lacks water sources. Hence,
evaporation
their names accordingly. 1S not common as a result of which there
is low humidity. The warm air never has
On the other hand, the difference between
land and sea breezes and the monsoon winds
enough moisture to get saturated and bring
rainfall.

94 CLIMATE
 DID YOU KNOW2
Scientists believe that two million years ago, the
Thar was a green and humid place. Prehistoric
humans had made their appearance there 2,00,0000
years ago as established by Stone Age tools found
near Didwana in Rajasthan. Throughout the period
of human occupation, the drainage system of the
region has been steadily declining and around
20,000 years ago, the area north of the Luni River
had become defunct, resulting in declining rainfall,
sparser vegetation, scouring winds and evolution of
the Great Indian Desert, the Thar.
A view of the Thar Desert

p bp lac
DISTRIBUTION OOF
., RAINFALL
Below 25
1. Regions of heavy
rainfall: They receive
100- more than 200 cm a
year (in some parts,
-100
the annual rainfall
exceeds 400 cm):
*v *
.Below 25
25-50
100-150
The western slopes of
75-1
100 the Western Ghats and
50-75
the western coastal
plains of Maharashtra,
D A Goa, Karnataka and
150-200
50-75
Kerala.

75-100 The southern part of

150-200
Kerala gets rainfall
ARABIAN 25- 50 BAY OF
SEA BENGAL
from both the
advancing monsoon
and the retreatingg
REFERENCES monsoon.
Rainfall in cm
The southern
above 200
75-1 150-200 windward slopes of
100-150
-100 the Eastern Himalayas,
50-7
25--50
particularly the Garo,
below 25
Khasi, Jaintia, Patkai,

INDIAN OCEAN
BLAIDS Map noE to Bca
Naga and Lushai Hills
commonly referred to
Annual rainfall in India as the 'Assam Hills'.

CLIMATE 95
 experienced because it 1s the last to receive
2 Regions moderate rainfall (100-200
of the first to see it retreat
the monsoon and
are the middle Ganga
losem a year): They
poNalley in Bihar, Jharkhand,
of the
Bengal.
West
Western Ghats,
Deet ana semi-desertregions-4eso-
are
han
the northern
parts
Odisha, some parts 50 cm a year) of

eastern Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir,

southern Puniah

Chhattisgarh, the northern part of Andhra parts of Haryana,

western Rajasthan, Thar

Pradesh and the southern part of Tamil the Kachchh Peninsula and
the rain shadow
Nadu. in the interior
regions of the Western Ghats,
Plateau. Ladakh lies in
3Regions of scanty rainfall (50-100 cm a parts of the Deccan
the Great HimalaVac
year): the rain shadow side of
which block the monsoon clouds. Thus it is
They the eastern Rajasthan, parts of
are
a cold desert.
Punjab and Haryana and Jammu and
Kashmir where the shortest rainy season is

Glossary: Terms to Remember

temperatures of the
difference between the mean
1 Annual range of temperature: The
warmest and coldest months of the year
station Over a year
2. Annual rainfall: The sum daily rainfall experienced at a
of the
it is marked by hot
3. Continental climate: Experienced in the continental interiors,
summers and cold winters resulting in high annual range of temperature.
Cold desert: Areas of very cold and dry climate, usually in mountainous regions
4
from the coast. Their climate in
situated in the remote interiors of higher latitudes, far
and very cold winters with scanty precipitation.
general is marked by warm summers
Differential heating of land and sea: Land absorbs heat very
fast and gives off heat
5.
and also retains heat for long. This
fast also. In contrast, water takes time to heat up

disparity in rate of heating of land and water leads to various climatic phenomena.
6. Maritime climate: Experienced in places near to seas and oceans, it is marked by
annual range of temperature is low.
equable temperature throughout the year. Thus,
7. Orographic rain: This type of precipitation is experienced when moist air is intercepted

by a feature and is forced to rise up. The ascent causes cooling and
highland
condensation of the moisture, bringing rain to the windward side of the mountain

or hill.
8. Temperate cyclones: Low pressure weather systems that develop in mid-latitudes
more specifically between 35° to 65° latitudes.

9. Tropical depressions: Low pressure systems originating in the tropics usualy

associated with high temperature, strong, gusty winds, high waves, heavy raintall
and unsettled weather conditions.
10. Trade winds: Planetary winds that blow steadily from the tropical high-pressure beits
to the low-pressure zone at the equator and are north-east in the northern hemisphere
and the south-east in the southern hemisphere.

96 CLIMATE
 EXERCISES
1. Name the term that best typifies the type of climate experienced in India. Explain the
appropriateness of the term.

2. How does the Tropic of Cancer influence the climate of India?

3. State two ways in which the Himalayas impact the climate of India.

4. Explain with suitable examples how altitude influences the climate of a place.
5. Jet streams play an important role in India's climate'. Explain.
6 Explain El Niño. What is its impact on India's climate?
7. Mumbai experiences four months of rainfall yet receives 200 cm of rain, while Visakhapatnam
receives only 100 cm of annual rainfall over a span of eight months. Explain.

&Explain why Cherrapunji receives heavier rainfall than Shillong.

9 Name a hot desert and a cold desert in India and explain the respective cause of their aridity.

10. Tamil Nadu receives rainfall from three sources. Name them and mention the months during
which they are experienced.
11. Explain the origin of the south-west monsoon in India and bring out its relation with the apparent
movement of the Sun.

12 With the help of two suitable examples, explain how relief features impact the climate of the
region.
13. State the prevailing atmospheric pressure conditions experienced in the Indian landmass as well
as the adjoining seas in each of the following seasons:

a. The hot season

bThe cold season

4 State two distinguishable features of each of the following seasons:

a. Season of retreating monsoon

b. Advancing monsoon season

15. Name the four seasons experienced in India and mention the corresponding months over which
they extend.

JName one region in India receiving more than 200 cm of annual rainfall. Explain the predominant
source efthis rain here.

WMangalore and Chennai lie approximately in the same latitude. Yet Mangalore receives its annual
rainfall from June to September while Chennai gets most of its rain in November-December'.
Explain.
18. Give an account of the origin of the Thar Desert.

19. State three distinguishable characteristics of Indian monsoon.

CLIMATE 97
 ndia.
20. Explain for the retreat of the monsoons over
the cause

21. State two climatic factors that have contributed towards making the Northern Plains, the granar

of India.
22. Explain the reasons for the occurrence of land breeze and sea breeze. How do they impact the

climate of coastal areas?

23. State an economic significance of each and mention the region or state each of them is associated

With:

a. Mango showers

b. Kalbaishakhi

C.
Cherry Blossoms showers
d. Bardoli Cheerha

eWestern Disturbances
4 Differentiate between each of the
following:
a. south-west and north-east monsoon winds
b. Tropical and temperate cyclones in India
C. Kalbaishakhi and loo
d. Maritime and continental climate
e.
Bay of Bengal and Arabian Sea branch of the south-west monsoon
25. a. What are western disturbances?
b. Name the
region affected by it.
C.
Explain its economic benefit.
26. Explain the following terms:
a. Burst of monsoons
b. Jet streams

C. October heat

d. Orographic rain

e. Rainshadow region

Retreating monsoon
27. Give reasons to
explain each of the
following:
a.
Northern Plains would have been
much drier if the
position. Himalayas were not in their
b. The eastern present
slope of the Aravali
Range is less
dry than its western
slope.

98 CLIMATE
 Kerala experiences the longest duration of monsoonal rain.

d. Pupjab and Haryana experiences winter rainfall.

Tamil Nadu coast receives more rain in winter than summer.

f. High waves and unsettled weather are common in the east coast in October-November.

g. Cricket match should never be scheduled in Chennai during winter months.

h. Rainfall in Mangalore is nearly four times more than that of Mysuru even though both
arelocated in Karnataka.
Patna receives more rainfall from the Bay of Bengal current of the south-west monsoon
than Prayagraj.
j Heatwaves are common in the Northern Plains in summer.

k. Most of India experiences fair weather in winter.

I. We need not pack warm clothes while visiting Mumbai in January.

m. Kanpur in Uttar Pradesh is much colder than Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh in January.

n. Cherrapunji and Mawsynram are some of the wettest places on the earth.

O. The surrounding seas play an important role in shaping the climate of India.

p . Lucknow has a high annual range of temperature.

q. Punjab receives rain from more than one source.

Mumbai receives more than 200 cm of average annual rainfall whereas Pune receives about
75 cm though both cities are less than 150 km apart.

S. Udagamandalam (Ooty), located at 11°N has average May temperature of 16°C whereas
the same for Chandigarh at 30°N is 32°C.

iTnterior parts of Deccan Plateau have semiarid conditions.

28. Study the climate data given below and answer the questions that follow:

Months Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May June July Aug. Sep. Oct. Nov. | Dec.

Temperature (in °C 15.7 19.2 24.6 29.6 33.7 34.4 32.1 30.7 304 28 22 17.4

Rainfall in cm) 0.2 0.1 0.3 0.1 0.5 0.8 8.0| 7.9 1.4 1 0.4 0.2

a. Calculate the annual rainfall of the given station and state the inference you can draw about
the type of climate experienced at this station.

b. Suggest a location of this station in India.

CLIMATE 99
 that follow:
29. the questions
Study the climate data given below and answer

Months Feb. Mar. Apr. May June July Aug Sep. Oct. Nov.
Nov. Dec.
Jan.

27.2 26.8 27 28 27
Temperature(in °C)23.7 23.9 26.2 28.7 29.7 28.9 25.1

Rainfall (in cm) 55.6 83.5 56.6 34.1 6.9 0.6 0.1
1.0 1.1

dGlve an evidence to suggest that the above station has a coastal location.

b. On which coast is it situated? Give reasons for your answer.

C.
Suggest a
probable name for this station.
o0. Study the climate data given below and answer the questions that follow:

Months Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May June July Aug. Sep. Oct. Nov.
Aug Dec.

Temperature (in °C)| 18.2 | 20.7 25.5 29.8 33.631.2 26.6 25.7 26 24.8 20.9 18.5

Rainfall (in cm) 1.3 0.5 0.9

02 0.8 10 35.5 35.9 22.9 3.0 0.9 1.3

a. Calculate the annual range of

temperature recorded in this station.
b. What does this range about the distance of the station
suggest from the sea?
C. Calculate the amount of rainfall received
during the hot season.

100 CLIMATE