CLIMATE

• The term “climate” refers to the long-term average of weather

conditions. Weather may change swiftly, within a day or a week.
Climate change is imperceptible and may not be seen for 50 years or
more.
 REGIONAL VARIATION
• India has a vast latitudinal and longitudinal extent. Thus, it has vast regional
variations. Some of these are
• While Barmer in Rajasthan experiences a temperature of 48–50°C in June,
Pahalgam in Kashmir experiences 22°C in the same month.
• While Mawsynram and Cherrapunji receive about 1100 cm of rainfall in
Meghalaya, Jaisalmer in Rajasthan receives only about 9 cm of rainfall
annually.
 Factors Affecting the Climate of India
• The Himalayas
• The Himalayas protect the North Indian Plains from severe cold winds which blow
from Central Asia during winter.
• Monsoon winds stay stagnant in the Himalayas because the Himalayan
mountains trap them well. This leads them to shed their moisture across the
subcontinent
 LATITUDE
The tropic of Cancer divides the country into two parts. The northern part lies in the
temperate zone, while the southern part lies in the tropical zone.
While the northern part of the country lying in the temperate zone experiences hot
summer and cool winters, the southern parts of the country located in the tropical
zone experiences hot climate.
 The Monsoon Winds
• The monsoon winds affect the climate of India. The southwest monsoon winds
blowing from the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal bring rainfall over the entire
country during June, July and August
• By the beginning of October, the winds start to retreat from central India. The
northeast monsoon winds bring rain to Tamil Nadu in winters.
 Varied Relief
• Relief features play an important role in shaping the climate of India. The areas
located in the windward side of the Western Ghats receive heavy rainfall, while the
Deccan region lying on the leeward or rain shadow area of the Western Ghats
receives very little rainfall
• The southwest monsoon winds blow parallel to the Aravalli Range. The latter is not
able to stop the moisture-laden winds, making Rajasthan a dry state.
 Altitude
•  Temperature decreases with higher altitude. There is a decrease of 1°C for every
166 m rise in height.  Thus, the mountains are cooler than the plains. Thus, the
temperature at Ooty is lower than that at Kochi as the former is located at a higher
altitude.
 Distance from the Sea
• The regions located far away from the Sea and in the interior of the continent
experience a continental type of climate. The summers are extremely hot, and the
winters are extremely cold.
 Influence of the Surrounding Seas
• India—a peninsular country—is surrounded by seas and oceans on three sides.
These water bodies affect the climate of the regions which lie close to the sea.
These regions experience moderate, equable and maritime climate.
 Western Disturbances
• Because of the shifting of pressure belts in central and west Asia, northern India
comes under the influence of western disturbances. These western disturbances
cause rainfall over the northern parts of the country and snowfall over Jammu and
Kashmir.
 Phenomena and Mechanism of the Monsoons
• The monsoon winds are caused by the differential heating and cooling of the land
and the sea. They are divided into two systems—summer monsoon and winter
monsoon.
 Summer Monsoon
1.The land heats quickly during summers, and hence, low-pressure conditions develop
over the land. As the sea is relatively cool, high pressure area develops over the sea.
2. Because winds move from a high-pressure area to a low-pressure area, winds move
from the sea to the land. This is called summer monsoon.
3. In May, June and July, the plains of the Indian subcontinent receive vertical rays of
the Sun. While a low-pressure area develops over the land, a high-pressure area
develops over the sea
4. Thus, winds blow from the Indian Ocean northwards and northwestwards into Asia.
Because they blow from the southwest, they are known as the southwest summer
monsoon.
 Winter Monsoon
• During the winter, oceans tend to become warm and the land cools down. A high
pressure area develops over the land and a low-pressure area develops over the
Indian Ocean.
• The winds move from a high-pressure area to a low-pressure area. Thus, the winds
which blow from the land to the sea are dry and are devoid of any moisture. They
bring cold weather and do not produce any rainfall.
• When these winds blow over adjoining oceans, they pick up moisture and bring
rainfall over the southern Coromandel Coast (coastal Tamil Nadu) and over the
southern tip of Andhra Pradesh.
• Because these winds blow from the northeastern parts of the country, they are
also known as northeast monsoon winds.
 Seasons in India
• Hot Dry Summer
• Summer in India begins from March and continues till May.
• The highest temperature is recorded in the northwestern parts where the highest
temperature may reach up to 48°C. South India does not experience intense heat
because it experiences moderating influence of the sea.
• During the summer, a local hot wind called loo blows in the northern parts of the
country. Direct exposure to the wind may prove fatal.
• During this season, thunderstorms known as kalbaisakhi hit West Bengal. These are
also known as Bardoli Chheerha. These thunderstorms are accompanied by heavy
rainfall. It also rains in coastal Kerala and Karnataka. These showers are known as
mango showers as they help in the early ripening of mangoes. They are also known
as cherry blossoms in Karnataka.
 Cold Season
• The cold weather season in India begins during mid-November in northern India
and stays till February. December and January are the coldest months.
• The temperature decreases from the south to the north.
• the mean temperature during January at Thiruvananthapuram is as high as 31°C, it
is only 16°C in Varanasi.
 The excessive cold in north India during the winter is
due to the following reasons:
• Cold winds blow from the Caspian Sea and Turkmenistan over the northwestern
parts of India during February.
• Places such as Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan are far away from the moderating
influence of the sea and hence experience continental type of climate.
• The snowfall in the nearby Himalayan ranges creates a cold wave situation.
• There are high-pressure conditions over the northwestern parts of the country.
• Western disturbances are experienced in the northern parts of the country during
the cold season.
 Southwest Monsoon
• The southwest monsoon begins in June and lasts till September
• During summers, a low-pressure area is created over the northwestern part of the
Indian Ocean. This attracts the southeast trade winds.
• The monsoon winds get divided into the Arabian Sea branch and the Bay of Bengal
branch.
 Retreating Monsoon
• During October and November, the southwest monsoon winds become weaker and
start retreating.
• This season is marked by clear skies and an increased temperature in the northern
plains.
• The retreat of monsoon is at a marked level. This increase in temperature is
termed October heat.
 Tropical Cyclones
• Tropical depressions originating in the Bay of Bengal are caused by local variation of
heat and moisture. They result in tropical cyclones in November and December.
• They generally originate in the neighbourhood of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands
between 12°N and 17°N and travel eastwards towards the Bay of Bengal. They
result in heavy downpour and cause great loss of life and property.
 October Heat
• The month of October is marked by clear cloudless sky, high temperature and high
humidity. This is called October heat.
• The month is also a period of transition between the hot rainy season and the cold
dry season.
 Distribution of Rainfall in India
• Regions receiving heavy rainfall (more than 200 cm)
• Slopes of the Western Ghats and the Western Coastal Plains
• Meghalaya Hills (Garo, Khasi and Jaintia), the southern slopes of the Eastern
Himalayas, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh and West Bengal
• Regions receiving moderate rainfall (100–200 cm)
• The southern parts of Tamil Nadu and the northern parts of Andhra Pradesh
• Middle Ganga Valley, some parts of the Western Ghats, Eastern Maharashtra,
Madhya Pradesh and Odisha
 Regions receiving low rainfall (50–100 cm)
• Parts of the Deccan plateau comprising the regions of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh
and Tamil Nadu
• Eastern Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana and Kashmir
• Regions receiving scanty rainfall (100–200 cm)
• Northern parts of Kashmir, southern Punjab and western Rajasthan
• The rain shadow regions of the Western Ghats lying in the Deccan Plateau