1. Answer the following questions in brief.

Question 1.
Himalaya is a natural wall which protects India. How?
Answer:

1. Winds blow from Central Asia towards India through north-east

direction.
2. Himalayas obstruct the extremely cold winds coming from Central Asia
and protects northern India from severe cold.
3. For example, the temperature of Shimla in the month of January remains
around 5°C.
Question 2.
Explain the Trade Winds.
Answer:

1. Trade winds originate due to tropical high-pressure belt in northern

hemisphere.
2. In past, these winds were used for oceanic trade-commerce. So, they are
called Trade winds.
3. These winds deflect due to Coriolis force and blow towards equator.
4. As these winds blow from over landmass, they contain less moisture.
5. Due to this vast water mass, the winds passing over them absorb
moisture and bring rain in India.
6. A large low-pressure area develops over the equator where the Trade
Winds converge. It is called Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ).
7. The Trade Winds rise upwards in the form of air currents.
Question 3.
Into how many parts has the Indian Meteorological Department divided the seasons of
India? Which are they?
Answer:
Indian Meteorological Department of Government of India at Delhi has divided the
climate of India into four seasons:

1. Cold weather season: Winter: December to February.

2. Hot weather season: Summer: March to May.
3. Advancing Monsoon: Rainy season: June to September.
4. Retreating Monsoon Season: October to November.
Question 4.
Into how many branches are the South-West Monsoon winds divided? Which are
they?
Answer:
South-West monsoon winds are responsible for the rain in rainy season and the humid
and cloudy weather. That is why this is also known as season of ‘South-West
Monsoon winds.
Due to the peninsular shape of the South India, the South-West Monsoon winds are
divided into two parts:

 Arabian Sea Current

 Bay of Bengal Current
2. Answer the following questions as directed:
Question 1.
What changes occur with the increase in altitude from sea-level?
Answer:

1. As we go higher from the sea-level air pressure and air temperature

decrease.
2. Moist air cools down when it rises and rain occurs. With increasing
altitude of the mountains the rainfall increases.
3. Due to the high altitude, the Himalayan peaks remain covered with show
throughout the year.
Question 2.
What is meant by ‘October Heat’?
Answer:

 During October-November, a season of dry and cool winds starts instead

of hot summer.
 Clear sky and increasing temperatures are main characteristics or
retreating monsoon winds.
 Soil contains moisture, day temperature increases, night is cool and
pleasant.
 Day time weather is very perplexing due to high temperature and
humidity. This situation is known as ‘October Heat’. It is locally known
as ‘Bhadarvi Taap’.
Question 3.
Over which regions do the monsoon winds coming over from Bay of Bengal give
rain?
Answer:

1. The west monsoon winds contain maximum moisture, first enters West
Bengal and then reaches up to Meghalaya. There the slopes of Garo,
Khasi and Jaintia hills- receive heavy rainfall.
2. Winds here deflect and blow from south-east. They cross over West
Bengal, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and reach Haryana. Their moisture
content decreases as it advances further.
3. Both these currents, coming from Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal,
merge giving good amount of rain in northern Himalayas region,
snowfall occurs there occasionally.
Question 4.
Which phenomena of faraway regions affect Indian climate?
Answer:

1. Sometimes a peculiar phenomenon takes place over places located at far

off places from India which creates temporary changes in the long term
climatic pattern.
2. Phenomena like Jet stream, Western Disturbances, E1 -Nino, ITCZ have
affected the Indian weather to a great extent.
3. Jet stream (Jet winds) blow over the southern slopes of Himalayas
during winter and in summer these are stationed over peninsular India.
High altitude winds help to bring rain.
4. Western disturbances often causes disturbances in the pleasant winter
weather of North India.
5. Very high mountains receive snowfall and the plains receive some rain
which is useful to Rabi Crop. This may cause unseasonal rain in Gujarat
which may damage crops.
6. The El-Nino phenomena takes place occasionally. Whenever it takes
place changes occur in the duration of monsoon and amount of rainfall
in India.
7. ITCZ is becomes stable over Ganga plains in July. Due to the low
pressure developed over this region, winds generated over the oceans in
southern hemisphere blow towards this area. It causes rain in a few parts
of North India.
3. Give to the point answer of the following questions:
Question 1.
Due to which reasons does the phenomena of change in season occur?
Answer:

1. Revolution of the earth around the sun is one of the main reasons for
change in seasons.
2. The axis of the earth is tilted at 23.5° and makes an angle of 66.5° with
the orbit. Seasons are also caused due to the axial tilt.
3. Regions receiving more sunlight experience summer while regions
receiving less sunlight experience winter.
4. Sun rays fall vertically over Tropic of Capricorn on 22nd December. So,
the southern hemisphere experiences summer and the northern
hemisphere experiences winter.
5. Hence nights in India are longer and colder.
6. The sunrays are perpendicular over Tropic of Cancer on 21st June so the
days are longer.
7. Rotation and revolution of the earth have a direct impact on the food,
clothing and residences of man.
8. The winter, summer and monsoon winds affect the weather and give
peculiar characteristics to it.
Question 2.
State briefly the factors affecting the climate.
Answer:
Factors like temperature, atmospheric pressure, winds, humidity, rain etc on the
surface of the earth that control the distribution and amount of elements of climate are
called climatic factors.
(i) Latitude:

1. Sun rays fall vertically over equatorial region hence, it is hot throughout
the year.
2. India is divided into two zones of different climatic conditions viz. torrid
zone and temperate zone.
3. There is a distance of about 111 kilometres between two latitudes. So
type of climate on the earth surface changes according to the latitude of
the place concerned.
4. Thus, distribution of elements in climate mostly follow latitudes.
(ii) Distance from Sea:

1. Water and land have different capacity to conserve and release the solar
heat.
2. As a result, coastal regions experience temperate climate, while the
climate becomes continental in the interior places away from the sea
coast.
3. Thus, the climate of Mumbai in India is temperate as it is near the sea
coast, while it is continental at Nagpur or Delhi as these places are far
from sea.
(iii) Altitude:

1. In normal conditions as we go higher air temperature decreases at 1° C

for the ascent of 165 metres or by 6.5° for ascent of every 1000 metres.
2. As we go higher from sea-level, air pressure and air temperature
decrease.
3. Due to the high altitude, the Himalayan peaks remain snow-covered
throughout the year.
4. Moist air cools down when it rises and gives rain with increasing
altitude of mountains, the rainfall increase.
5. In mountain regions of Assam and Meghalaya rainfall increases with
increasing altitude.
(iv) Atmospheric Pressure and Winds:

1. India falls in the path of north-east trade winds.

2. These winds originate due to tropical high-pressure belt in northern
hemisphere.
3. These winds deflect due to Coriolis force and blow towards equator.
 4. These winds blow over landmass, they contain less moisture. But due to
vast water mass located to the south of India, the winds contain moisture
and bring rain in India.
5. During winter, high pressure develops to the north of Himalaya. Cold
and dry winds from this region blow towards oceanic area where low
pressure is created.
6. These winds tend to blow from Indian Ocean to low pressure in North
India. Thus, these winds contain moisture and bring rain in India.
Question 3.
Write notes on the cold weather season (winter) of India:
Answer:

1. In India the three months’ duration from December to February is

considered as winter.
2. In these period, the sun shines vertically over southern hemisphere
between 22nd September to 21st March.
3. India is situated in northern hemisphere, so it is under the influence of
less heat of the sun rays and less temperature is experienced.
4. Winds blow from north-east direction from Central Asia. These winds
are dry and cold so the weather also remains dry and cold. The sky
during this season generally remains clear.
5. North-East India remains comparatively cooler as it is far away from the
sea. It has some part of i.e. a desert. During winter this region develops
high pressure and this deflects the winds.
6. For example, in Delhi temperature during winter often goes below 10°C
during winter and it remains 16°C in Allahabad and 18°C in Kolkata.
7. At this time the temperature in Himalayas is much less. The January
temperature of Shimla, Darjeeling is around 5°C.
8. After the snowfall in Himalayas the cold and heavy winds rush towards
the North Indian plains.
9. As a result this plain along with Gujarat and Rajasthan are under the
grip of cold waves. Temperature decreases suddenly and frost in some
areas destructs the cotton crop.
10. Temperature does not fall below freezing point during winter except for
the high mountainous regions because Central Himalayas obstruct the
extremely cold winds coming from Central Asia and protects India from
severe cold.
11. South India is situated in Torrid Zone. It has a peninsular shape. Its
inner area is not very far from the sea coast. So, this area does not feel
severe cold like the Northern India during winter.
12. Temperature also does not fall. For example, the temperature at Kochi
during January is around 26°C, Madurai is 25°C and Chennai is 24°C.
Hence, temperature decreases going from South to North.
13. In India winter is considered to be very pleasant and healthy season.
Days are shorter and nights are longer and cooler.
 14. In winter dry winds coming from over landmass generally do not bring
rain but North-East winds coming over Bay of Bengal contain humidity.
They give more rainfall over the Coromandel coast.
15. North-east gets some rainfall due to the Western disturbances and
thunderstorms. This rain is very useful for the Rabi crop in Punjab and
Haryana.
16. These winds bring rain in Gujarat occasionally. This unseasonal rain in
Gujarat is locally called ‘Maavthu’.
Question 4.
Describe the effects of climate on human life.
Answer:

1. Irregularity of rainfall has resulted into ineradicable agriculture

production.
2. Farmers have to depend on rainfall for irrigation.
3. The beginning, as well as ending of rainy season, is uncertain. Hence,
unavailability of rainwater at right time affects the crop production.
4. Sometimes there is a downpour of rain when it rains too much in shorter
time. As a result, crops are destroyed.
5. Rivers get flooded and cause soil erosion which in long term reduces
crop production.
6. As the farming is seasonal work, many agricultural labourers migrate to
cities.
7. Due to irregular rain, some agro-based industries face problems as they
do not get their raw material like cotton, sugarcane, tobacco, etc.
8. Problem of drinking w’ater also becomes acute due to irregular rain.
Life in desert or mountainous regions becomes full of hardships.
9. Thus, climate directly affects people’s food, clothing, occupation, etc.