CLIMATE Inside the Chapter Monsoon Climate Factors Affecting the Climate of India © Latitude and the Role of the Tropic of Cancer ° The Role of the Himalayas © Influence of the Waterbodies © Impact of the Monsoon Winds ‘© Presence of Other Relief Features Altitude © Upper Air Circulation © The EI Nifo Effect Features of the Indian Climate Seasons in india © The Cold Season (December to February) © The Hot Season (March to May) ‘© Monsoon Season (June to September) © Seasons of the Retreating Monsoon (October and November) Characteristics of Monsoons land and Sea Breeze and Monsoon Why Is Thar a Desert? Distribution of Rainfall 80 se to a wide variety Of climatic reyioy, India is hon : nd al in the south below the Tropic Pe ranging, from tropic to lemperate climate ; ges to Alpine climate in the vicinity g re elevated regions r Cancer, above the: Tropic. Furthy, north, it chal the Himalayas, wher winter snowfall. ariations lend a lot of diversity to the climate d rainfall condition, VE Sustained Regional v ‘ of India, Contrast in temperature an Je, the region around the Thar are conspicuous. For examp! th average annual rainfall of Desert is extremely arid wi Tess than 25 em while Mawsynram and Cherrapunji on the Khasi Hills, are some of the wettest areas of the world with annual rainfall exceeding 1100 cm. The coastal regions of India have an equable climate, neither too hot nor too cold, due to the moderating influence of the seas. On the other hand, the Northern Plains of India have a distinct continental type of climate, characterised by extremely hot summers and very cold winters. This is because they are located away from the sea, in the continental interiors. TROPICAL MONSOON CLIMATE ‘The climate of India can be summed up as the tropical monsoon type because of the immense influence of the monsoon winds. In fact, the whole of South Asia is affected by these winds, The term ‘monsoon’ is derived from the Arabic word mausim meaning season. Thus, monsoon winds are those which blow from sea to land (onshore) in one season and from land to sea (offshore) in the other. A complete reversal of direction over the course of a year is the dominant feature of monsoon winds,fACTORS AFFECTING THE ci oF INDIA tatitudes and the Role of the tropic of Cancer MATE , as we Know, latitudes determine the temperature or heat zones of the world, In terms of temperature conditions Prevailing over India, the influence of the Tropic ef Cancer is very distinguishable, Regions south of the Tropic of Cancer belong to the Torrid Zone, where the Sun’s rays are more direct and these regions experience warm temperature for most parts of the year. Places, further to the south are closer to the equator and are hence very hot throughout the year. + Places to the north of the Tropic of Cancer, belong to the Warm Temperate or ‘Subtropical Zone and have distinct summer and winter seasons. The Role of the Himalayas + The high wall of the Himalayas acts as an effective climatic barrier, protecting the Northern Plains of India from the bitterly cold winds that originate near the Arctic Circle and blow over Central Asia. Thus, the Himalayas save the Norther Plains (identified as the ‘granary of India’) from the severity of cold during winter. * The mountain wall intercepts the moisture- Jaden monsoon winds and helps in bringing plenty of rainfall to most parts of the country from June to September. Influence of the Waterbodies + The waterbodies of South Asia, ie. the Indian Ocean, Bay of Bengal and Arabian Sea, exert a moderating influence on the climate of the coastal areas. They are neither too cold in winter nor too warm in summer. They, thus, have an equable or ‘maritime’ climate, The occurrence of land breeze and Sea breeze : Causes moderate temperature Paces ° Prevail throughout the year. cn he interior have ‘continental’ cold tke by very hot summers and cold dry winters, This is because they are moderating influence of the sea, re why Places such as Dethi and \ “perience a high annual range of Smperature, which cities such ag Mumbai and Chennai do not — far from the This exp These waterbodies also Provide the summer Monsoon winds heavy rainfall to many parts of Moisture to which bring f India, Impact of the Monsoon Winds * During summer, due to differential heating of land and sea, the south-east trade winds Cross the equator and in accordance with Ferrel’s Law, deflect to their right to enter India as south-west monsoon winds, These winds bring heavy rain to most parts of India from June to September. The amount of rainfall is controlled by various factors and hence varies from region to region. For example, the deserts of Rajasthan and interior parts of the Deccan Plateau receive very low rainfall, while some areas of Meghalaya and Andaman and Nicobar Islands receive extremely heavy rainfall ¢ During winter, due to change in temperature, atmospheric pressure conditions are altered, causing the monsoons to retreat. The wind direction gradually gets reversed and they begin to blow offshore from land to sea. These are known as the north-east monsoon winds. As the winds are dry, they hardly bring any rainfall to most parts of India. However, when these winds pick up moisture from the Bay of Bengal, they cause rain along the coastal parts of Tamil Nadu and southern Andhra Pradesh. cumare 81X ; L INDIAN OCEAN Direction of south-west monsoon winds. Presence of Other Relief Features This explains why Mumbai on the wet * Relief features, other than the Himalayas, C09St is wetter than Pune on the eastern se also play a very important role in shaping ofthe Ghat. tn the same wat, Shillee the climate of India. The westem or the the leeward side of the Meghslaya Phos windward slopes of the Western Ghats "™8ives much less tain from the Bay get heavy rainfall because they intercept Bengal branch of the southarest swear the south-west monsoon winds from the winds compared to Cherrapunji on the Arabian Sea, windward slope. In sharp contrast, vast areas of Maharashtra, * Position of hills and mountains are alo Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu @ determinant factor. For example, ue te in the rain-shadow or leeward side of the _€0 its north-south alignment, the Art Western Ghats and receive scanty rainfall, Ranges do not intercept the wet winds cunate7 from te Arabian Sea a ths wester fajanthian vermains very ary on tite other hand, the Masewest alignment dy the Himalayas Orables the mountain to intercept the wr anoon winds and pring rain (0 large parts of northern India. altitude places Jocated on higher elevations from the sea evel such as the ones focated in the Northern Mountains remain told throughout the var. 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 ag Patna, Prayagraj (formerly Allahabad), ARABIAN SEA Lucknow and Varanasi PT iar are warmer than hill stations such as Darjeeling, Nainital, Shimla and Mussoorie. ‘This explains why the average annual temperature of Kodaikanal is only 16°C while that of Madurai is 29°C though they are both located in Tamil Nadu, separated by a distance of about 100 km only. Upper Air Circulation Upper air circulation or jet stream plays an important role in the mechanism of the monsoons. Jet stream is a swift blowing wind that is prevalent at a height of 3 to 5 km above the subtropical high-pressure belt. The Direction ofthe north-east monsoon winds, Himalayas act as a barrier in their path and subsequently the jet stream is divided into the easterly jet and the westerly jet. + The westerly jet draws temperate cyclones or western disturbances into north-west India. These depressions originate from the around the Mediterranean Sea and rainfall to the north-western states of Punjab, Haryana, Uttarakhand sand western Uttar Pradesh. They also cause heavy snowfall in the higher altitudes of the Himalayan regions of Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh and Himachal Pradesh. regions bring winter 8384 aponnibe for BUnysins +The easterly jot be " tropical depressions cover tidias j onatio play a significant role: fn the dlept ah the distribution: Ww onset and dlepartire fof raintall an they: fot monsoon ine find The El Nifo Effect me the Peruvian Current py eotdor than the haeliatt aire conditions cold western Pacific Oer evan de to whieh tow pre remain prevalent here, However, al tiny a warm current called EP Nite appe wr in South Americ Pacific their 6 The off the coast of TM December, The warm water of the Ocean causes Trade Winds to reverse ce the moisture laden winds directions, He that should have moved towards: the Indian coast now move towards the Peruvian coast bringing a lot of rain there, This deprives the Indian subcontinent of its share of monsoon rains, ‘The El Nifio conditions coincide with a period of weak monsoon and higher temperatures in India, ‘This results in a deficit rainfall that increases the probability of drought. This could adversely impact the production of summer crops such as rice, sugar cane, cotton and oilseeds. FEATURES OF THE INDIAN CLIMATE Diversity in climatic conditions Owing to ils vast size and varied topography, the Indian subcontinent has varied climatic conditions, not only from one season to another, but also from one region to another. India has equatorial, tropical, semi-arid, temperate or Arctic climate. Tropical monsoon-type of climate due to dominance of the monsoon mechanism: Though the continent of Asia has varied climatic conditions, the general climate of India is the tropical monsoon type. Two CUMATE momioon winds control the climag, south-west monsoon winds jn h-eanl MONSOON Winds j, tnaete of India and num A monsoon isa wind that chanp wint 204 Mrwetionn acearding, 0 (Ne 8Ca80N5. 1 blow, maint air frors the ecean to the land jg, nummer and blows dry offshore winds jy Wyinter, Nowhere ele in the world is the annem efiinate as well-marked as in thy Indian subcontinent Development of tropical depressions 4, cyclones over the Bay of Bengal ‘Towards the end of the monsoon season cyclones may be originating over the Bay of Bengal and Andaman Sea that bring heayy rains and storms along the Andhra Pradesh and Odisha coasts. They may also cause devastating floods during the retreating monsoon season in October and November The rainfall decreases further south. These cyclones travel in a north-westerly direction and weaken along, the Arabian Sea coast of Pakistan. Occurrence of winter rainfall in specific parts of the country: ‘Another feature of the Indian climate is the occurrence of winter rainfall in north. western India due to westerly depressions or temperate cyclones originating in the region of the Mediterranean Sea. The Coromandel Coast also receives slight showers during winter from the north-east monsoon winds Presence of four distinct seasons in the year. They are as follows: The cold and dry winter season—December to February The hot and dry summer season—March to May The advancing monsoon season or rainy season—June to September The season of the retreating monsoon- October and NovemberF sons IN INDIA 5 ve temperature ee ina a ins to drop after orate of the Rpsoan The cool mae es we by about the eS ile of October. The ms rays do not fall vertically on any part ythe subcontinent ser the apparent movement of the Gun to the southern jemisphere, after eptember 23, the day of autumnal equinox. Clear cloudless skies, fine cool weather, light northerly winds and low humidity are characteristics of this season. yy ach Temperature ‘Temperature in general decreases from south to north of India. The mean temperature is lower in the north of the country (10°-15°C), while in the east and south it is higher, ranging between 20° to 25°C. January is the coldest. month. Very low, often sub-zero temperatures are recorded in the mountainous high altitudes of the north, where precipitation is mostly in the form of snowfall. Places in the interior are also comparatively colder than the Coastal areas owing to their continentality. For ©xample, while the mean January temperature inChennai, located on the coast, is about 25°C, Pressure and wind in india (in January) it is 16°C at Varanasi, located in the Northern Plains. It drops to 3°C at Srinagar, which is located further to the north of the country. The land cools faster than the sea. As a result, a high pressure develops Central Asia and the landlocked regions of the north and north- western India (Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Haryana and Punjab). The waterbodies around the peninsular India are relatively warm and remain as regions of low pressure. ‘CUMATE 85Winds Winds begin to blow from the high-pressure area over the land lo the low pressure area over the sea. These are offshore winds and normally do not bring rain, Due to the topography of India, they move in a westerly or north-westerly direction down the Ganga valley and in a northerly direction in the Ganga Delta. Following, the path of the North- east Trade Winds, they become north-casterly ARABIAN SEA INDIAN Rainfall in winter in India 86 cute ‘4 over the Bay of Bengal, where they pj, moisture and blow towards the Tam’ 4 coast as north-east monsoon Winds. In gy, Yay the winds are variable. Nera Winter Rainfall a. Tamil Nadu Coast (South-east Coa.» north-cast_monsoon winds, which The the Bay of Bengal in October, moe ox, wit nn AY OF BENGALhe damp wind of the retreating summer ! ssoon and Blow directly along the tami ast giving that region the ween turbed weather of the whole rains accompanied by stormy sweep over the south-east coastal no! Nadu 0 ds win ctimes causing y sometimes causing great damage crops and disrupting normal tite jadu receives about 70 cm of rainfall the months of October and January, regio" 9 the tamil Ni tween gahewest India: Parts of Punjab, oN aryana, Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal pradesh northern Rajasthan, Uttarakhand and western Uttar Pradesh receive light- to-moderate rainfall, due to the western disturbances (temperate cyclones), sriginating from the Mediterranean Sea region. This rain is beneficial to the rabi tyops, especially wheat and barley. The Himalayas receive a considerable amount of gnowfall due to these cyclonic depressions, be The Hot Season (March to May) pue to the apparent movement of the sun northwards, its vertical rays now advance towards the Tropic of Cancer (23%°N). The belt of maximum temperature moves northward from the southern parts of the Indian peninsula towards the Norther Plains, during March and April. Temperature Very high temperatures are especially in the continental interiors. The southern parts of the peninsula and the coastal plains record a maximum temperature of about 35°C. Most parts of the Northern Plains record a maximum temperature exceeding 40°C. In the north-western interiors of Rajasthan, the maximum temperature may exceed 45°C. This high temperature causes a low-pressure belt to build up here. The surrounding waterbodies are centres of high pressure as water takes recorded, Lime 10 absorb heat, ‘Thus, a strong pressure nt ‘established from the subtropical ot te el the nian Ocean, south over ite Nari '0 the low-pressure trough Pressure rthern Plains, By May, the low: ev area he lo intensify all across the S al high altitudes, such as Shimla, 7 Mal Daretng and Mussoorie, however, See ne coastal regions have more rodents peratures because of the ig influence of the sea. Winds L . cecal winds gain prominence at this time. me of them are as follows: * Loo is a hot, dry and dusty wind that blows in summer during the afternoons. It originates in Rajasthan and blows over the Northern Plains covering Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. It causes heatwaves that may prove fatal for many. * Thunderstorms accompanied by rain are common in the coastal regions of Kerala and Karnataka, They are known as mango showers since they are important for early ripening of mangoes or cherry blossom showers in coastal Kerala and Karnataka. They are favourable for the growth of tea and coffee crops. © Nor’westers or Kalbaishakhi bring dust storms with heavy rain accompanied by thunder and lightning to the state of West Bengal. It gives some respite during the oppressive summer months though the high wind speed may also be the cause of immense destruction of life and property. The name Kalbaishokhi literally means ‘calamity in the month of Baisakh’. However, this rain is very beneficial for the growth of the rice and jute crops.ONY NYWKany, «wan nN Nor'westers of Assam are known as Bardoli Cheerha and are immensely favourable for the tea crops. Monsoon Season (une to September) As discussed earlier, the intense heat that prevails in the Indian subcontinent causes a low- 88 “CLIMATE Pressure and wind in india (in July) pressure region to develop over the Northem Plains, known as the monsoon trough. This low pressure attracts the moisture-bearing winds from the surrounding waterbodies, where high pressure prevails. In the process, the South-east Trade Winds from the southern hemisphere are attracted towards the low pressure over north- western India. On crossing the equator, theyare deflected to their right and blow over the Indian subcontinent as the south-west monsoon winds. These carry a lot of moisture and bring rain to large parts of India. They bring relief and give water to a parched and thirsty earth. By June, the low-pressure depression intensifies in the north-western part of the country. As the difference in pressure increases between land and water, a strong pressure gradient gets INDIAN eA OCEAN ‘Onset of monsoon in India established, attracting masses of moist air from the high pressure over the southern Indian Ocean and Arabian Sea. By mid-June, these strong onshore south-west monsoon winds arrive, bringing torrential downpours accompanied by thunder and lightning. This is known as the “burst of the monsoon’. Because of the peninsular shape of India, the south-west monsoon winds split into awa 89 3two branches: the Arabian Sea branch and the Bay of Bengal branch. 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 branch approaches the south-west coast of India by end- May or early-June. Kerala, located in the south-west corner of peninsular India, is the first state to receive the south- west monsoon rains. The high Western ARABIAN SEA Ghats force the moist 7 air to rise quite high. I Heavy rain (1e,, 200- if { a 250 cm) falls on the Se | "4 windward slopes of © INDIAN \—~_QCEAN vical the Western Ghats. While the leeward side receives only 60 cm of rainfall. Towards the interior of the Deccan Plateau, the rain shadow area receives still less. Further east, towards Chennai, only 30 to 40 cm of rain is received. The winds progressively deposit less rainfall from west to east, for example, Mumbai 200 cm, to Chennai about 40 cm, and from south to north, for example, Thiruvananthapuram about 325 cm, Goa 300 cm and Mumbai 200 cm. After crossing the Ghats, the monsoon winds blow across the plateau and reach Madhya 90 ‘CLIMATE Rainfall in India (in July) Pradesh, Jharkhand and Odisha giving moderate rainfall to these regions. Part of this wind enters the Narmada Valley and causes good amount of rainfall in the Chota Nagpur Plateau. Further north, a section of these winds passes over Rajasthan without depositing much rainfall there. This is because the Aravali Range runs almost parallel to the direction of this branch and do not form a barrier to intercept the winds. The Thar Desert in western Rajasthan especially very arid. While blowing along the Aravali Range, the monsoon winds goes straighty ne sub-Himalayan region giving rainfall to 0 hills of the western Himalayas, eastern the Es Haryana and north-eastern Rajasthan, It Pun pat it meets the Bay of Bengal branch a new test monsoon winds. of y of Bengal Branch of the Ba The fewest Monsoon south-w' ay of Bengal branch of the south-west fronsoon hits the Andaman and Nicobar irands in Bay of Bengal by end-May. From there, these winds move northwards, picking up moisture from the vast expanse of the gay. These winds passing over the Ganga- prakmaputra Delta strike against the lower ranges of the Himalayas, Chittagong Hills and ‘Assam Hills, and cause very heavy rainfall in West Bengal, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh and the southern slopes of the Khasi and Jaintia Hills. Cherrapunji, situated on the windward slopes of the Khasi Hills, receives an annual rainfall of over 1,250 cm which is one of the heaviest in the world. One branch of the Bay of Bengal current is deflected in the westerly direction, blowing from the south-east, between the Himalayas and the plateau of peninsular India, The winds move up the Indo-Gangetic Plain, parallel to the Himalayas. As the wind keeps shedding moisture, the precipitation 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 and 25 em in the Indus Valley. The B Marginal precipitation of about 25 cmis received onthe eastern slopes of the Aravali Range, which form a barrier to this wind. However, the Thar Desert, on the west of the Aravali Range, lies in the rain shadow for the south-west monsoon’s Bay of Bengal branch and receives little or no infall. Thus, arid conditions prevail here. As this branch of the south-west monsoon flows Parallel to the eastern coast of India, it fails ‘0 bring rainfall to the eastern coastal plains. Moreover, this region lying on the leeward side of the Western Ghats receives from the Arabian Sea mons the eastern co, marginal rain soon current, ‘Thus tal districts are much drier in Summer than its counterpart in the west, During the Monsoon season, strong, winds and ee Spells last for a few days followed by a Period of weak winds or monsoon lull. ‘This leads to a dry spell between two wet spells, The normal duration of the monsoon in most Parts of India is 100 to 120 days but in Rajasthan i is 45 to 50 days, while it is a maximum of Sx months in Kerala. Temperatures are lower during the wet season due to cloudiness and rainfall, Arabian Sea Branch | Bay of Bengal Branch 1. As it travels a It travels for a shorter longer distance | distance and hence it over water, it carries less moisture. carries more moisture. 2. On entering India, it immediately strikes the Western — Ghats and brings heavy orographic rain to the western coast of India, It first traverses the delta of the Ganga and Brahmaputra before it gets entrapped in the hills of the Meghalaya Plateau, bringing heavy rain to the windward slopes. Season of the Retreating Monsoon (October and November) This is a period of transition between the final withdrawal of the south-west monsoon and the regular setting in of the north-east winter monsoon. With the apparent movement of the sun south of the equator, the low-pressure area over the north-western part of India weakens and the south-west monsoon starts withdrawing from the subcontinent. By the beginning of September, it withdraws from Rajasthan. It retreats from Punjab and Haryana by mid- September and by the first week of October, the monsoon withdraws from most parts of CUMATE 192 INDIAN \ BAY OF BENGAL OCEAN Withdrawal of monsoons in india north India. By mid-October, it withdraws from central India and by early November, southern India sees the last of the monsoon. Kerala is the last state to receive rain, before monsoon retreats completely from the subcontinent. Weather Conditions There is clear sky, low humidity and absence of wind as the air becomes almost stagnant. The sultry and oppressive weather is referred to as October heat. This is a transition between the CUMATE hot rainy season and cold dry season. By the beginning of November, fine weather conditions prevail all over the subcontinent. The retreat of the monsoon is a process much slower than its arrival. The advance of the south-west monsoon is towards the north and its retreat is towards the south. The retreat of the monsoon does not imply a right about- turn but a gradual change of comparative pressure position, thus gradually weakening and reducing the area coverage and influence.akumari/Kerala, incidentally, are the Koes to see the monsoon appear and met places nat to see it depart. the i ang this period, due to local variations, HB and moisture, tropical cyclone are of Fea Tiney originate in the Andaman Seq oy of Bengal and travel w strong winds, torrential ves along the coast are a or north. sinfall and wciated with veage of tropical The Tamil Nadu Shea Pradesh coasts experience heay: and et igh waves and strong winds from these inal ‘hich are often very destructive to life oe opet They usually occur in October. nd bi November. clones ‘pemperate Cyclones They are of frontal origin and largely develop over landmasses Tropical Cyclones — Se They are of thermal origin and develop over the tropical seas like Andaman of the temperate Sea and Bay of zone around the Bengal. Mediterranean Sea. They bring light They cause heavy showers in the rainfall, strong north-western, winds and high India extending waves in the eastern over several coastal districts. weeks. Snowfall is experienced in high altitudes of the Himalayan states. Their duration is short, lasting over few minutes or hours but are potentially highly destructive. CHARACTERISTICS OF MONSOONS 1, Monsoons are erratic in nature. Its time of arrival and departure is not fixed but varies from year to year. 2 Monsoons are unevenly spread and sporadic. Some regions receive more than 500 cm while some others receive less than 50 cm of rain annually, Monsoon. raing are orographic in nature, Amount of rainfall is largely influenced by the location, pos sition and alignment of hills and mountain ranges, Monsoo M 'soon brings rain in summer and is concentrate ventrated between fune and September. 5 de Of the country by Prosperity Monsoon rains determine the economic state Controlling the agricultural dependance on crop failure is of monsoon, The farmer's Monsoon is so great that mtegrally related to failure Some regions of the cor di lue to tropical dey monsoon season whil depressions in the tuntry receive rains Pressions in the post le some from temperate Winter season, Variations in Rainfall The amount of rainfall Teceived |, upon the location of a know, largely depends Place. As we already a place located on the leeward side will Bet less rain than the one on the windward side of a mountain or hill. The direction of the mountain ranges is also of great significance here. If the range lies parallel to the direction of the moisture-laden winds and does not form a barrier as in the case of the Aravali Range, very little or no rainfall is deposited. On the other hand, if a mountain range intercepts wet winds, the region on the windward slope experiences heavy rainfall, for example, the windward slopes of the Western Ghats. Similarly, in the north-east, moisture-laden south-west monsoon winds from the Bay of Bengal branch get entrapped in a funnel shaped depression formed by the hills of the Meghalaya Plateau like Garo, Khasi and Jaintia, resulting in heavy rainfall (more than 1,250 cm) in some areas here. Cherrapunji, situated on the windward slopes of the Khasi and Jaintia Hills, ao 1,250 cin whereas Shillong on the leeward oo ig in the rain shadow area and receives only 2: cm of rain per annum. cumate 93.os with respect to whether the terior. Rainfall also va place is located near the coast or in the int Rainfall decreases progressively towards the interior as the winds become depleted of moisture by the time they reach there, South-west Monsoon | North-east Monsoon (ee They by and large offshore winds Onshore winds are carrying immense moisture from the | blowing from the Arabian Sea, Indian | Asian landmass Ocean and Bay of | towards the seas. While blowing over the Bay of Bengal, they pick up some Bengal. moisture that is eventually shed along the eastern coastal plains. They blow from the | They blow from the south-we north-east. They cause They bring rain to the widespread rain to | Coromandel Coast most parts of India. _| only. They are active in the hot, wet season from June to September. They are active in the cold, dry season from November to January. LAND AND SEA BREEZE AND MONSOON There are great similarities between monsoon winds and land and sea breezes. Both are caused due to the differential rate of heating and cooling of land and water. Also, both reverse their direction periodically and derive their names accordingly. On the other hand, the difference between land and sea breezes and the monsoon winds CLIMATE equally well marked. While land and seq . their direction during the cours, of the day —land breeze blows at night ang Seq breeze during the day—the south-west and north-east monsoon winds do s0 seasonally j, summer and winter, respectively. are Sea breeze docs not bring rainfall as 44, period during which they blow is t00 shox for collecting, moisture from the Sea, Monsoyy, winds on the other hand, bring rainfall as the pick up moisture while blowing over the Vast expanse of the sea over a long period of time, WHY IS THAR A DESERT? The Thar, situated in western Rajasthan, is . comparatively low-lying arid region flanked by the Aravali Range in the east. The Thar Tegion receives less than 25 cm of annual rainfall] and is thus referred to as a desert. Its low rainfalj may be attributed to the following reasons 1. The Arabian Sea branch of the South-West monsoon does not give much rainfall as the Aravali Range which is parallel to these winds does not form barriers to intercept them. 2. The Bay of Bengal branch of the south-west monsoon has little or no moisture left by the time it reaches the Thar region, after traversing the Ganga Valley. Little rain is experienced on the eastern, windward side of the Aravali Ranges but no rain over Thar in the west, as it lies in the rain shadow area. 3. Winter rain is not experienced here as the north-east winter monsoon winds originate in the Northern Plains and blow offshore 4, Thar lacks water sources. Hence, evaporation is not common as a result of which there is low humidity. The warm air never has enough moisture to get saturated and bring rainfall.sore UTI Sclentists believe that tye million years ago, the [har was a green and humid place, Prehistoric humans had made their Appearance there 2,00,000 YO"5 AKO a8 established by Stone Aye tools found neat Didwana in Rajasthan, Throughout the period Of human occupation, the drainage vptern 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 raictall, peat Vegetation, scouring winds and evolution of he Great Indian Desert, the Thar, | DISTRIBUTION OF RAINFALL 1. Regions of heavy rainfall: They receive more than 200 cin a year (in some parts, the annual rainfall exceeds 400 cm): * The western slopes of the Western Ghats and the western coastal plains of Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka and Kerala. | * The southern part of Kerala gets rainfall from both the advancing monsoon and the retreating | nN 7 They BAY OF ania - BENGAL SEA : » monsoon. : gi Sane ae * The southern sey 2 windward slopes of 100-150 won) the Eastern Himalayas, | particularly the Garo, Khasi, Jaintia, Patkai, Naga and Lushai Hills commonly referred to as the ‘Assam Hills’. INDIAN Oc! Annual rainfall in India cumare 95experienced because itis the last to recy, . rainfall (100-200 : 2. Regions of moderate all ( crpercrsoon ad the st see ire em a year): They are the middle Ganga ; Valley in Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal, 4 Desert and semi-desert regions (less qh, Odisha, some parts of the Western Ghats, 50 cm a year) are the northem par cee Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Jammy and Kashmir, southem Pup Chhattisgarh, the northern part of Andhra parts of Haryana, western Rajasthan “ ; Pradesh and the southern part of Tamil ee Kachchh Peninsula and the rain haa = Nace regions of the Western Ghats, in the intern 3. Regions of scanty rainfall (60-100 em a parts of the Deccan Plateau, Ladakh jj i ies year): the rain shadow side of the Great Himalyg They are the eastern Rajasthan, parts of which block the monsoon clouds. Thus i, Punjab and Haryana and Jammu and a cold desert. Kashmir where the shortest rainy season is Tee on cues Annual range of temperature: The difference between the mean temperatures of the warmest and coldest months of the year. ‘Annual rainfall: The sum of the daily rainfall experienced at a station over a year, Continental climate: Experienced in the continental interiors, it is marked by hot summers and cold winters resulting, in high annual range of temperature. Cold desert: Areas of very cold and dry climate, usually in mountainous regions situated in the remote interiors of higher latitudes, far from the coast. Their climate in general is marked by warm summers and very cold winters with scanty precipitation, Differential heating of land and sea: Land absorbs heat very fast and gives off heat fast also. In contrast, water takes time to heat up and also retains heat for long. This disparity in rate of heating of land and water leads to various climatic phenomena. Maritime climate: Experienced in places near to seas and oceans, it is marked by equable temperature throughout the year. Thus, annual range of temperature is low. Orographic rain: This type of precipitation is experienced when moist air is intercepted by a highland feature and is forced to rise up. The ascent causes cooling and condensation of the moisture, bringing rain to the windward side of the mountain or hill. Temperate cyclones: Low pressure weather systems that develop in mid-latitudes, more specifically between 35° to 65° latitudes. Tropical depressions: Low pressure systems originating in the tropics usually associated with high temperature, strong, gusty winds, high waves, heavy rainfall and unsettled weather conditions. Planetary winds that blow steadily from the tropical high-pressure belts yressure zone at the equator and are north-east in the northern hemisphere and the south-east in the southern hemisphere. 96 CLIMATE