_ '?

Syllaims States have a similar monsoon type

of climate.
These variations are expressed in the
climate K pattern
rature, Rainfall, wings of winds, temperature and rainfall,
rhythm of
ffecting 'Z’he"? Seasons and the degree of wetness or
dryness.
These regional diversities are kno
wn as the
sub-types of monsoon climate.

TEMPERATURE
Seasonal variations in temperature occur
from place to place and from region to region.
India has & tropical monsoon type of climate. This Variations in temperature are found also at a
is because India liesin the tropical belt and single place and in a single day. Examples of
its climate is influenced by the monsoon these variations are:
winds which are largely confined to the 1. Barmer in Rajasthan may record a
Tropics, i.e., between 20°N and 20°S. The temperature of 48°C or 50°C on a June day,
main characteristics of this type of climate are while it hardly reaches 22°C at Pahalgam
relatively high temperatures and dry winters. or Gulmarg in Kashmir on the same
However, the Himalayas in the north and the day. However, in Dras near Kargil, the
Indian Ocean in the south provide distinctive temperatures may go down to -40°C during
cimatic conditions to [Link] Himalayan winter.
ranges protect northern India from the cold
2. Kerala has tropical climate with warm and
winds of Central Asia and Siberia and give it
moist air, whereas Punjab has continental
4 continental climate, the characteristics of
which are the prevalence of land winds, dryness climate with severe heat alternating with
severe cold.
of air and large diurnal range of temperature.
The Indian Ocean in the south gives it a hot 3. The temperature touches - 40°C in Kargil
monsoon climate more typical of the tropical in the month of December whereas Kerala
2N of the temperate zone. records 20°C or 22°C in the same month.
4. The annual range of temperature is 3°C
REGIONAL VARIATIONS along the Malabar Coast and more than
Eescp;.te the broad unity of the monsoon type 20°C in the interiors.
‘er:fm‘“e: Variations in climate occur in 5. The difference between day and night
the gy 'CBIONS of the country. For example, temperatures in the Andaman Islands
Pradeqy, 1€ Conditions of Bihar and Uttar and Kerala is hardly seven or eight degree
ang 'l‘amliil the north differ from that of Kerala celsius, whereas in the Thar desert it is
Nadu in the south; yet all of these between 25 to 30°C.
‘ 88 I Total Geography - X

PRECIPITATION
Variations occur not only in the typ e of
precipitation but also in its amount and the
seasonal distribution. Snowfall occurs in the
Himalayas, whereas it only rains over the rest
of the country.
1. Cherrapuniji and Mawsynram in Meghalaya
get about 1100cm rains in the year, whereas
Jaisalmer in Rajasthan hardly receives
9 cm of rainfall in a year.
2. Tura in Meghalaya gets an amount of rainfall
in a single day which is equal to 10 years
of rainfall at Jaisalmer in Rajasthan.
3. The Coromandel Coast remains dry in the
+Relief and rainfall: The windward side of Westery
months of July and August, whereas the S»'W qusoon and the ‘:%
¢
receive rainfall from the M::fi
Ganga delta and the coastal plains of Odisha side of Eastern Ghats receive
rainfall from N-E

are hit by strong storms almost every third . ‘

Sea and Bay of Bengal. The moisture
or fifth day during these months. ly wind s frop Lz
by these south-we ster
4. Most parts of India receive rainfall during
Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal bring g
June-September, but the coastal areas of “
the entire subcontinent, leaving Tibet i
Tamil Nadu get rains in the beginning of
the ‘rainshadow’ of the Himalayas. The s
the winter season. monsoon start retreating by the end\
west
FACTORS AFFECTING THE September from Punjab and Uttar Pfiflsh,ht
CLIMATE OF INDIA October from Central India and by the endg |
November from South India. Retreating monsem
Climate refers to a generalised and composite
brings rain in eastern coastal region. Duiz
picture of the average weather conditions spread
winter, dry offshore, North-East Monsoanwb;
over a long period, for a given large area. The
blow from high pressure to low pressure regz |
factors which influence the climate of India
which is centred at the head of Bay of Bczgt_“
are the following:
These winds originate in Mongolia and northws |
1. The Himalayas: The Himalayas form China. As they blow over a vast landmass,
a climatic barrier separating the Indian are cold and dry. These cold dry winds join&,
sub-continent from the rest of Asia. They not Trade Winds to pass over the Bay of Ber
only prevent the cold Siberian winds from They pick moisture from the Bay of Beusfi”‘"
entering the Indian region and from India bring rain to Tamil Nadu in winters.
becoming a cold desert but they also force the
moisture laden South West Monsoon winds to
3. Latitude: The Indian subcontinent®
divided into two parts by the Tropic of Can®
shed rainfall in India or else India would be
a dry region.
The northern portion lies in the temperate#%
and the southern portion lies in the tropical
2
2. The Monsoon Winds: The monsoon
The warm temperate or sub-tropical climate ™
winds have almost a universal effect in bringing
the northern zone gives it cold
summer rains over the whole of South Asia. winter S&;
and hot summer season. The souther? thPflh
During summers, winds move quickly into
climatic zone of India
peninsular India towards the low-pressure
and does not have a isclear-cut
warmer than the " 3
wintef
system of northwest India from the Arabian
Similarly, the northern zone does not ' |
*Sketch (not to scale) to aid in understanding concepts.
 Climate | 89
erhead during
§ almost vertically ov a. The westerly jet stream prevails over the
) ¥ year, while the sout rth Indian Plains during the winter months,
Imost vertically hile the casterly jet stream steers the tropical
hei M1 id-day Sun &
depression over India. These depressions play a
nos Wi N
J ;‘ 1ea5“’:e 4 Relief: Relief plays an importa, very significant role in the distribution pattern
tic conditions of India. The We of the monsoon rainfall in the subcontinent.
The highest rainfall occurs along the track of
these depressions.
9. Distance from the Sea: Areas in the
interiors of India have extreme type of climate
or continental climate whereas coastal areas
In Rajasthan, the Aravali Range is parallel have equable or maritime climate. The effect of
Ghats-! ction of the South West Monsoon winds. land breeze and sea breeze caused by differential
to qlgdfl‘:xable to stop the moisture laden winds. rate of heating and cooling of land and sea
\ti So.1t IS;(CS Rajasthan a dry area. The are responsible for moderate climate in coastal
southern
‘l‘l_us U;Ass am get heavy rainfall but the areas.
northern
Y hils odu not. This is because the southern hills In the Peninsula, the Western Ghats prevent
y mei the moisture laden the winds from carrying such benefits far
winds to shed their
ty ‘f;:-:sme pefore they proceed northwards. inwards. Therefore, the moderating influence
of the sea is limited to the coastal areas.
by 5. Altitude: There is a decrease of 1°C for
10. El-Nino Effect: El-Nino is a warm
R every 166 mrise in height, because temperature
ocean current which sometimes appears off
§ decreases as you move to higher altitudes. So,
4 the mountains are cooler than the plains. For the coast of Peru in South America during the
t example, Ooty has much lower temperature, month of December. It increases the surface
temperature of the sea and affects the movement
& than Kochi, because of the altitude.
I 6. Influence
of monsoon winds in the Indian Ocean and
of the Surrounding Seas:
causes weak drought-like situation in the Indian
n India is flanked by three water bodies, namely,
) the Indian Ocean, the Bay of Bengal and the sub-continent,
i Arabian Sea which have a profound impact on
2 the climate, especially in areas lying close to
&' the sea. These water bodies act as the major
m‘ source‘of moisture to the summer monsoons
o and bnng heavy rainfall to the whole area.
In
| fact, it is because of the nearness to the sea
that these areas have a moderate
climate.
¥ 7; Western Disturbances: The weather
% conditiong during winter are generally
influenced
by the distribution pattern of pressure in Central
irff :nd WGSt Asia. In the winter season due to the
v fron:n;g ffthe pressure belts, the westerlies blow
0" N t0 50° N Latitude and the Northern
S Indig o,
. S under the influence of the winds
i T‘hes?c °“les rising from the Mediterranean Sea.
i and Sn?;: li]:es bring rain to Northern Plains
e Jammu and Kashmir in India.
7! Dlowin, . Fe2MS: Jet streams
are cold fast
4¢ ofthe ajg winds that develop
1 in the upper layers
i Mosphere. They influence the climate of * No Rainfall in Rajasthan
"Sketch
(not to scale) to aid in un
derstanding concepts.
 - X
90 | Total Geography T
= e Provalling Winds and Cylones (8pii) P
Tep aliire) Pressure;
VEAN (inTE2CaMPlsiERus)ATURE
32.5-350
30.0-325
27.5-30.0
25.0-27.5
225-25.0
Below 22.5

Isobar in millibars
(at08.301ST)
—— Prevailing Winds

I_ndia—Pressurc, Prevailing Winds and Cyclones in (April)

AND I develops there. This causes the winds to 04

MONSOON PHENOMENA
from the sea to the land. It is the ®
MECHANISM
Monsoon.” S

Monsoons are periodic or seasonal winds. They

In May, June and July, the plains o
well Indian subcontinent are heated by tht "1
develop because of differential heating as
rays of the sun. The intense heat develor' 38
as cooling of the land and sea. They are divided
low pressure. During these months:
into two wind systems—the Summer Monsoon Indian Ocean, a high pressure ar¢ aeK
and the Winter Monsoon.
So, the winds blow from the 11di%% ¢
SUMMER MONSOONS northward and north-westward 0% g
they blow from the sea to the 180% Wyl,,‘
In summer, the land gets heated more than heavy rainfall in some parts of the
the sea. Hence there develops a centre of low subcontinent. The summer mons®”
pressure on the land. Over the adjoining sea, the blow south-west; so they &€
air is comparatively cool, and a high pressure ‘South-West Summer Monsoon.’
 Climate | 94
WINTER MONSOONS
. winter season, the conditi

Lh: |ndian Ocean- As the winds blow from the

| to the sea, they bring
cold dry weather,
They are incapable of produc
ing rain,
When these winds blow
over seas and
ass OVET the adjoining land,
they bring
:ome rainfall. The Southe
rn Coromande] Coast
fl' - Nadu and southern tip of
Andhra Pra
desh)
o India g6t rain from winter
monsoons, The
winter monsoon winds blow north-east; so the
monsoon i known as the ‘North-East Winter s ful of Mosture
Winds Without Moistur
Monsoon.”
Mechanisms *Mumbai gets more
of Monsoon are further rainfall than Pune
f exp[ained in this Chapter.
TEMPERATURE
FOUR SEASONS From March to May, due to the northward
movement of the path of the Sun’s vert
ical rays,
The Monsocon type of climate has distinct the length of the day increases. It
results in
| seasonal pattern marked by significant change the increase in solar radiation which moves
! from one season to the other. These
northward over the tropical areas of Sou
changes th
are clearly visible in the interior parts of the Asia and the temperature starts rising. In
most
parts of India, temperature ranges betwee
country. The coastal areas, due to the influence n
30° and 32°C. The highest day temperatu
of the seas do not experience much variation
res
increase as the heat belt moves further north.
in temperature though there occurs variation In north-western part of India, temperatures
in the pattern of rainfall. Thus, the year may around 48°C are not uncommon.
. be divided into four principal seasons on the In south India, the hot weather is not as
basis of monsoon variations: intense as in north India. The moderating
1. The Hot and Dry summer (March to May). influence of the oceans together with the
Peninsular situation of south India keeps the
2. The Hot and Wet or Rainy Season or the
temperatures lower than that in north India.
South-West Monsoon (June to September).
The temperatures, therefore, remain between
[Link] Retreating South-West Monsoon 26°C and 32°C in south India.
(October-November). There is some respite from the heat in the
% The Cold and Dry Winter Season or North- coastal regions due to the influence of the
r sea. Plateaus and hills are also relatively cool
. East Monsoon (December-February).
because of the elevation.
| The diurnal variation is large, especially in the
| 1. THE HOT DRY SUMMER
interior part lying on the west of the subcontinent.
l ;:stln‘fifl. the hot season begins in March and
[o s until June. The vertical rays of the PRESSURE CONDITIONS
1 Sun
)
. directly over the Tropic of Cancer during The warmest area slowly shifts from the
18 period, Deccanto northwest India. The high temperature
Bketch (not to scale) to aid in und
erstanding concepts.
 92 | Total Geography.- X
called mango showers as the,
early ripening of the mang, ci' he}
The surrounding seas are coolel also called cherry blossoms
i: X
high pressure conditions in the I
By the end of May a comparatively high
2 THESOUTH:WEST
pressure area develops near Cape Comorin SEASON
extending towards the Arabian Sea. By June, the The South-West
inland low pressure system becomes more monsoon
seasonof general [Link]
aso
Seagp iy lh"f g
intense and moves northward with its centre
over the Indus lowlands and Baluchistan. The from June to September, The dif?n 1““4'
influx of these winds by mid-June brings about a heating of land and sea during the Er‘““al |
months causes the monsoon Win, ds“\un%‘
change in the weather towards the rainy season.
towards the subcontinent, The large ) to flxm
STORMS
AND RAINFALL to the north of the Indian Ocean gfls;‘n
The hot-dry weather is marked by weak winds heated during April and May. This cautcmq, ]
and dryness over the area. The low pressure formation of an intense low p’ESsu,[Link]
over the Northern plains draws winds from north-western part of the Indian s“bflonlfi:
the surrounding areas and gives rise to Since the pressure in the ocean tq the leng,
thunderstorms with strong dusty winds. These of the landmass is high, it attrac
tg the
winds cause a shower of rain mostly in Punja East (S.E.) Trade winds which
b, Prevaj] i
Haryana and Uttar Pradesh. southern hemisphere. These S E_
Trade y;
after crossing the Equator are
LOCAL WINDS deflecteq
the right because of the Coriolig force 4
(a) A striking feature of the hot weather season
reach the west coast as South-West Mo,,sm'
is the strong and dusty winds, called loo,
These winds bring heavy rainfall accompag
which blow during day time over northern
by violent thunder and lightnin,
and north-western India. These winds have g. This Suddey
temperature range between 45°C and 50°C
violent onset of rainfall in th, e firs
t week
which is hot enough to cause heatstrokes. June is termed as the Burst
of the Monsog,
However, when the South-West Monsoon
(b) There are occasional tornado-like dust faly 1
to bring rainfall for two or more
storms in Punjab and Haryana and Uttar weeks and
there is a dry period in the rain
Pradesh. y season it iy
(¢) The thunderstorms accompanied with strong
winds and heavy rainfall occurin Assam and
West Bengal. These local winds are known
as Kalbaisakhi which means ‘the calamity
of the month of Baisakh’. In Assam, these
storms are known as Bardoli Chheerha, They
originate over the Chotanagpur Plateau
and
are carried eastward by westerly winds.
They bring rainfall in Assam, West Bengal
and Odisha. This rainfall is quite beneficial
for growing jute and rice in West Bengal
and tea in Assam.
(d) Thunderstorms cause rainfall
along the
Kerala and Karnataka coasts.
The little
rainfallthat they bring is important
for
mango, tea and coffee plants. Such
rains are
\ == — T
Press(i e
revalling Winds'and Cylone
‘. s)(ULly) f
! ™
{ | -, .
o B “AN TEMPERATURE?
(inisCelslus) 5

250-275 ; |
Below 25,0 - K

-
—— Isobarin millibars i
(at08.30 1ST) L 't
|
—
Y
Prevailing Winds ¥

India Mean Temperatures (July) )

ti
‘[d

called the Break of Monsoon. The first State 10°C afte |

a week’s
r ram Nagpurseesan{aximum
to receive the monsoon showers is Kerala and of 45°C in May which drops to 31°C in July.
20 the last to see its withdrawal. THE ARABIAN SEA BRANCH It
As a result of the tapering topography of
: i ; : The monsoon winds originating over the Arabian
i
|l,‘
| z:v?zzfi;nzlvittes 1;1th-West Monzoon whils Sea further split into three branches:
ranches: I
. . (a) Its one branch is obstructed by the Western
by Arablan Sea Branch; and Ghats. These winds go up the slopes of the
) The Bay of Bengal Branch
Western Ghats, become cool and bring heavy
The raing bring down the temperature and rains in the windward side of the Sahyadris i
e0ce, some respite from the heat. However, and the Western Coastal Plains. After
ere i relief only as long as it rains, I
because crossing the Ghats these winds descend, i
A € relative py, midity is quite high during July- get heated up and thereby, the humidity
Ugust, 0 Mumbaj the temperature drops by in the winds is reduced. Consequently,
 " 94 | Total Geography - X

these winds cause little rainfall cast

Western Ghats, ie., i
area. INDIg
(b) The second branch of th
monso on winds strikes the long the i o Rain shadow

Mumbai. These winds move fu

=.y
Area
Shillong
Narmada and Tapi river valleys and cause flmfl_ Jainia
fair amount of rainfall in Central India.
The Chotanagpur Plateau receives 15 cm
of rainfall from this branch. After that,. it
enters the Ganga plains and mingles with
the Bay of Bengal Branch.
(c) The third branch strikes the Saurashtra
Peninsula and the Kutch. After that it passt?s
over west Rajasthan and along the {&ravahs

ot
sty okl T i 8,
j ether these
bt ol i
.
tP:vu: fr:.na;is}i:x\z;a::ai;a:fl:ll titz)lgthe western and Khasi Hills of Meghalaya. Cherrflpunji o
Himalayas. Mawsynram, l'oca}ted on [Link] crest o-f the southe,
o range of Khasi Hills, receive the highest aversg
E
OF’ BENGAL- BRANCH annual rainfall in the world.
The Bay of Bengal branch is directed towards Distribution of rainfall received from souts
the coast of Myanmar and part of south-east west monsoons is largely governed by the rejg
Bangladesh. However, owing to the presence of or topography. For example, Mahabaleshm_:
the Arakan Hills along the coast of Myanmar, a on the windward side of the Western Ghat
large part of this branch of monsoon is deflected - registers
a rainfall of over 250 cm. whereas
towards the Indian subcontinent. The monsoons, ~ Pune on
the leeward side of these Gha,
therefore, enter West Bengal and Bangladesh recejves less than 70 cm of rainfall. Likewis,
from south and south-east instead of the south- the heavy precipitation in north-eastern stats
westerly direction. Now this branch bifurcates s que to the occurrence of hilly range
in s
thes'
into two branches: one along the Ganga plains states. There is a decrease in rainfall as ““‘i‘
::sih nfr:nflclfire:l;fiefl;;dzr:hzzgut'.a valley. goes from east to west. During this partci!
Ganga plains,
P rainin the geq50n Kolkata receives about 120 cm; Pt
Brahmaputra valley and Garo
102 em, Allahaba
91 dcm and Delhi i [Link].
South-West lonsoon Winds
Sea Branch
L. Itenters Indian landmass after blowing over
avastopen sea. During
this Pperiod it collects
lot of moisture, carries less moisture.
2. The Arabian'Sea
Branch blows over
i India, 2 The Bay of Bengal Bran
ch partly eniers i
S major part blows
(3. It hag to travel a ove r Myanmarand
Zh. It hits against the West
ern Ghats ag S00n
as it blows over the land, e lo ng distance over:
——\_. — i hits against the mountains
*Sketch (not to scale) to aid in understandin
g concept
cepts.
 Climate | 95
il Nadu coast remains dry
n. This is because ally replaced by high pressure.
the Tamil The retreat
son. € monsoon is marked by clear
skics and
P in night temperature, The land rem
ains
ranch oist. The combination of high temperatu
the rain shadow area of the Arabj [Link] gives rise to an oppressiv
re and
1 of the south-west monsoon. e weather.
This is commonly known as ‘October
heat’. Day
temperature rises duc to clear skies.
The low pressure conditions are tran
sferred to
the centre of Bay of Bengal by early Nove
mber,
This shift of the low pressure area is
marked
by cyclonic depressions which originate over
the
for the 7€ : . Andaman Sea. Some of the cyclonic depressi
The reason of this retreatis that the monsoon ons
manage to cross the eastern coasts of sout
ugh of low pressure hern
over the Ganga plains peninsula resulting in heavy and widespread
(rous
bemmes weaker due to the apparent SouthwardA rains on the coast of Tamil Nadu and parts of
movement of the sun. The low pressure trough is Odisha. These cyclonic storms move from the

Winds and‘(}yfi)nes (0}!@)‘

B MEAN TEMPERATURE
(in SCelsius)

27.5-30.0
250-275
225-250
Below 22.5

Isobar in millibars
(at08.301ST)
Prevailing Winds

OCEAN (L
ns in October
JWeather Conditio
I - S s

A
retreat of the Monsoon Winds,
- Low pressure tr ough shifts causing
Receeding Monsoons
temperature and high humidity. Auxpl.m
to the south-west. The retreating
north-east earlier, this sultry and oppressive weatp,:
ept on the 4
monsoons are generally' dry exc Eggfsfl;jg:fi:()ff .
and parts
coastal areas of Tamil Nadu, Odisha
of Karnataka. The bulk of the rainfall of the It is a transition period between the 1y
Coromandel Coast is derived from depres
sions rainy season and cold dry season. By the end;
and cyclones. October or by the beginning of November
Retreating Monsoon rainfall in some places weather conditions prevail over the rest oft,
is as heavy as the summer monsoons. Interior subcontinent.
parts of Deccan remain dry because they lie in
the rain shadow of the Eastern Ghats. 4. THE NORTH-EAST MONSO
SEASON
TROPICAL CYCLONES
The cold weather season commences at tlt
There are tropical depressions (low-pressure
systems) originating in the Bay of Bengal caused
end of November and continues till [Link]
by local variations of heat and moisture. They skies are relatively clear with dry weather. Ngi
lead to tropical cyclones in November and temperatures are low, specially in northem India,v
December. Such cyclones generally originate but the days are pleasantly warm. The mead
in the neighbourhood of the Andaman Islands temperature in the northern plains is &
between 12°N and 17°N and travel west or 20°C and gets even lower in Himachal Prede
northwest over the Bay of Bengal,
they occur, they cause great loss of
Whenever Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab and Hfl}’“""j
life and
property due
1 to heavy rains on th, € e TEMPERATURE
i )
4
coastal regions of India. 1des h
astern In winter season, January
OCTOBER HEAT is usually the ©® of.
month. The temperature remains 44
October is marked by clear cloudlessbsky high during the winter months over the India"
continent sufli4
» . The temperatures decrease
o™ “1
 Climate l 97

MEAN TEMPERATURE|
(In2Calsfus)
275-300
250215
225-250
200-225
175.205
| 150-175
] 125-150
Below 125

IXBhubapgshWar {
ARABIAN )\
4A BAY

Isobar in millibars
(at 08.30I1ST)
i| — Prevailing Winds

Weather Conditions in Janua‘xy

onorth. The mean maximum temperature for bring cold wave over the northwestern parts
e month of January at Trivan
is dru
as high m __of India;
$31'C, at Calicut 26°C, at Chennai 24°C, at
aranasi about 16°C and at Jammu only 10°C. (b) Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan experience
continental type of climates as they are
The night temperature in the Gangetic Plains
aies from 2.5°C to 17.5°C. Temperatures located far away from the sea to experience
fall its moderating influence; and
elow freezing point in the higher reaches of
* Himalayas. Dras Valley in Kashmir near (c) The snowfall in the nearby Himalayan
;a.’@-‘ records minimum temperature ranges creates cold wave situation.
of 45°C.
' the coldest place in India. In Peninsular India, the average temperature
lies between 20°C to 25°C and it does not have
s .The excessive col, d in north India during
€. ason isi due to the following
. any well defined cold weather season. The coastal
reasons:
areas hardly experience any seasonal change in
fInFrome g,month of February, the cold winds the distribution pattern of temperature due to
© Caspian Sea and Turkmenistan the moderating influence of the sea and proximity

¥
 98 | Total Geography - X

INDEX
E Heavy Precipitation
(Rainfall/Snowal)
| ——> Winds

ARABIAN
- SEA

India—Winter Rainfall
to the Equator. For example,
the mean maximum parts of the country it is
temperature for June at dry season. HOWEVFE
Thiruvananthapuram
is 29.5°C and it is 31°C for when these winds pass ove
January. r Bay of Beng
they pick up some moisture and cause
PRESSURE amount of rainfall on the $om
Coromandel Coa!
The weather in this se
ason is characterised by As these winds blow from north-eas
t to 50“'}';
feeble hi gh pressure condit West, they are called the
north-western part
ions over the North-Bast Monsod!
of the plain. This is
because
of theoblique rays of
the Sun which rea TEMPERATE CYCLONES
subcontinent as ch the
the Sun moves to
the Southern
(Western Disturbances)
hemisphe re.
A characteristic feature of the of
cold weall
During this season, the p, Season is the inflow of depres
orth east trade sions from =
winds prevail over the count West and the north-
blow
try. These wind s west. These-low-pres
from land to sea and hence, for most )
Systems, called the western_disturban®> ces
Originate-in-West Asia-and the regions 1%
 sterr anean Sea. They travel eastwards across ‘:pr'lgg torrential rainfall over Tamil
Me 4 pakistan and reach India during the Nadu
oast and southern tip of Andhra Pradesh.
lrtfl‘m season. They bring the much-needed ON OF RAINFALL
‘;mmtef [ains Over the plains and snowfall in the
muuflfaj ps. On an av-era-ge, four or five such The distribution
S i of rainfall
rai is s d determii ned by
deprCSSions affect India in each of the winter
onths- They are generally active between 1. the pressure conditions and the direction
picember and February.
Though the amount of the reli e
o winter rainfall is small, it is of considerable
impnrrance
for the cultivation of rabi crops.
RAINFALL
not receive rainfall India can be divided into four rainfall regions:
Most parts of India do
This is because the winter (1) Heavy Rainfall Region: This region
inthe winter season.
little humidity and due to experiences more than )@M____fiinfan
monsoons have
ibility annually and includes the following areas.
anti-cyclonic circulation on land, the poss
of rain from them decreases. However, there (i) The\windward side of the Western Ghats
the
are some areas which do receive rainfall in the like the W_e‘s_t?{'@m,f’lains “and
winter season. They are as follow
s: slopes of the Western Ghats.
rn parts of and Jaintia),
1. Central parts of India and northe (ii) Meghalaya Hills (Garo, Khasi
in winter. Himalayas,
Peninsula get occasional rainfall the southern slopes of Eastern
and West Bengal.
es from the Assam, Arunachal Pradesh
2, Some weak temperate cyclon region
in Delhi, Rainfall Region: This
Mediterranean Sea cause rainfall (2) Moderate
100 cm t0 200 cm
Haryana, Punjab and wes
tern Uttar Pradesh. receives rainfall ranging from included in this
is meagre, areas are
Though the amount of this rainfall ps:
a year. The following

itis quite beneficial for the rabi cro region:

3The north-eastern part of India also (i) The. g@hfim, pm‘g_%ékfiifiéi"ffl‘fihe

months. part of Tamil Nadu.
gets rainfall during the winter
southern
ome portion: s of
Atunachal Pradesh-and-Assari. _get rains. T (i) Middle Ganga Valleys Maharashtra,
Easter n
befiween 25 mm and 50 mm during Winters. Western Ghats,
h, Odisha.
November,
%In the months of October and
Prades
Madhya
The rainfall in this
the north-east monsoon while crossing
Over Region:
(3) Low Rainfall
the Bay of Bengal, picks up moisture and

4__—4
{
” 100 | Total Geogr -X

during ¢ These windsg

winds blow & _ December to Fep,
r and November.
hese
Jun
e These winds blow from Octobe!
ction of these winds
to September.
winds * The dire
* The direction of these is from North East
.
is from South West. b! low from la
nd X
d and ° Thesé winds
® They blow from sea to lan
are moisture laden win ds.

® They bring heavy rainfall. This

is a high temperature and high| t
humidity season. The pressure
on the land area and high
_islow
ngr bodies. |
over surroundiwate
® During these ‘months there
s rainfall in the whole

CLIMATE GRAPHS
CHENNAI
DELHI
Rainfall in mm Temperature in °C Ralnfal i oy
Temperature in C

260 s INDEX b
be i
[=ransiiom
waraga Tem ()
-o

200 =
30 b
180 -g
160 25 n

140
120
100 15
2
6
40 5 4
20
[ JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV P
JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN
1A FEB AR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC

KOZHIKODE CHERRAPUNJI
Ralnfall in mm =
mperaturs In *C
25

"JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN UL "AuGTsER "ocT 'Nov peg
 Climato | 101
= RAINFALL
melras)

ARABIAN

INDIAN CJOCEANSAEamm e > e |

India — Annual Rainfall

°gion is scarce, varying from 50 to 100

cm. parts of Ladakh.
The areas of scanty rainfall are:
(ii) The rain shadow regions of the Western
01 Parts DL(he—Decca&lateau comprising Ghats lying in the Deccan Plateau.
the regions of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh _ - FEATURES OF THE RAINFALL
2d Tamil Nady,
Main featuresof the rainfall in India are:
g Easte}:n Rajasthan’ Punjab, Haryana and
shinfr, 1. There is rainfall over three months and the
rest of the year is mostly dry. Seventy per
me'glasste::gafi‘fnfall Region: These areas get cent of annual rainfall occurs in the rainy
%rtand sep, > L.e,, less than 50 cm annually. season.
o i Desert areas are included in this.
2. The rains are mainly of relief type. The
s Ollowing areas come in this region:
o . windward slopes of the mountains get more
thern Punjab, Western Rajasthan and rainfall than the leeward side.

g
 e
102 Goograp!
| Total — in erratic. It ia beecause of thig N /
there are ig,
that sometimes -ty
3. Onlya smnllporlihnol’lhp T )
eti mes drou ghts , """hvL1"”ty i
gom
from sources other than g
cyclonic rainfall and cconomy 1
like 5. Indin has an agrarian J
rainfall. on rainfall, Ag such rainfa) af Pcm],.m
the time of occurren
;
ce of
- economy of the country, fecy 8 | [
4. The quantity and
be predicted ¢ W the rainfall
rainfall cannot

. S
the following questions: ,
1. Answer
India. Mention any two factors responsible '}
Q.1 (a) Name the type of climate prevailin; g over a. Ti, x
characteristic features O
f the Monsoon rainfall in Indi
(b) State two important
(©) (i) What is ‘Monsoon™
ch receives th e heaviest rainfall.
(i) Name the place in India whi
for each of the following:
(d) Give a geographical reason
is warmer than Kanpur in December.
(i) Mumbai
(ii) Punjab gets rain in winter.
in the months of December and Januay,
(iii) The Indo-Gangetic Plain gets some rainfall
e of a place.
Q. 2 (a) Name the factors which affect the climat
two characteristics of the South-West Monsoon.
(b) Mention
(c) Give a geographical reason for each of the following:
(i) When the Malabar coast is receiving heavy rainfall in July, the Tamil Nadu coasti
comparatively dry.
(ii) The Northern Plains of India have a Continental type of climate.
(iii) Central Maharashtra receives less rainfall than Western Maharashtra.
(d) Study the climatic data given below and answer the questions that follow:

(i) Calculate the annual rainfall experienced by the station.’

(i) Suggest a name of this station, giving a reason for your . answer.
(iii) Name the season during which the rainfall is heaviest
Q. 3 (a) Distinguish
’ between ‘Burst of M onsoon’ and ‘Break
(b) Define: (i) Western Disturbances (i) Mango Show:
: ) ers. o Monsoont
(c) (i) Name two regions which get very little rain
fro m; the Summer Monsoon.
(i) Name any two local winds which
blow in Indi it
of the foll a during the summer season-
(d) Give a geographical reason for each
ollowing:
9) The m?nsoon rain is unevenly distributed o i
(ii) Excessive cold in north India durin i ver india.
(iii) Most of the India remaing dry d uri'gng Nor
otth-Eas
[Link]
oon.