CLIMATE
Climatic Regions in India, the tropic of cancer passes through India
and divides it into:
- Tropical climate (south) below tropic of cancer.
- Temperate climate (north) above the tropic of cancer.
India has many severe climatic variations, Example:
- Thar Desert: extremely arid, very less rainfall (annually, less than 25cm).
- Mawsynram and Cherrapunji: Wettest regions with heavy rainfall
(annually, more than 1100cm)
- Coastal Regions: Equable or maritime climate, not too hot not too cold
bcs of moderating influence of the seas/waterbodies.
- Northern plains: Continental climate, extremely hot summers, and very
cold winters because they are located away from water bodies. (extreme)
TROPICAL MONSOON CLIMATE:
- Even though has various climatic variations from place to place. There is
immense influence of monsoon winds on its climate.
- Monsoon winds blow from sea to land(onshore) in one season and then
from land to sea(offshore) in the other season.
- A complete reversal in the wind direction over the course of a year is a
distinct feature of monsoon winds.
FACTORS AFFECTING CLIMATE IN INDIA:
Latitudes and Tropic of Cancer:
- Latitudes determine different climatic zones of the world.
- The Tropic of Cancer which is a latitude passes through India and
therefore divides into two separate climatic zones.
- Regions south of the TOC experience torrid zone climate in which the
sun’s rays are vertically overhead for most of the year and they
experience high temperatures all year.
- Regions north of the TOC experience warm temperate or subtropical
climate, they have distinct summer and winter seasons.
The Role of Himalayas:
- The Himalayas act as a climatic barrier and do not allow the cold winds
from the arctic to enter the northern plains in India.
- The Northern Plains are also known as the granary of India because a
variety of food crops and grains are grown in this region.
- The Himalayas also intercept the monsoon winds which are moisture-
laden and help bring rain to most parts of India from June to Sept.
Influence of Water Bodies:
- The waterbodies of south Asia like Indian ocean and bay of Bengal exert
a moderating influence on the climate of the coastal regions of India.
- They make the climate equable or maritime, not too hot summers and not
too cold winters.
- The occurrence of land breeze and sea breeze causes moderate climatic
conditions all year.
- Places located away from the seas, in the interior of India, experience
continental climate with very hot summers and extremely cold winters.
- Waterbodies provide moisture to summer winds and help in bringing in
rain to many parts of India.
Impact of Monsoon Winds:
- In Summer, the south-east trade winds deflect to the right of their course
to enter India from June to Sept.
- There are many determinants of rainfall and that is why it varies from
region to region in India.
- Ex. Deserts of Rajasthan and Interior of Deccan plateau receive very less
rainfall but places like Meghalaya and Andaman Nicobar Islands receive
extremely heavy rainfall.
- In Winter, the climatic conditions are changed causing the monsoons to
stop.
- The winds that blow from land to sea are the northeast monsoons.
- These winds are dry and hardly bring any rainfall to India.
- However, these winds pickup moisture from Bay of Bengal, coastal Tamil
Nadu, and Southern Andhra Pradesh.
Presence of Other Relief Features:
- The windward slopes of the Western Ghats intercept the monsoon winds
from the Arabian sea and bring rain.
- Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra, Tamil Nadu are located on the leeward
side of the western ghats and receive scanty rainfall.
- This is why Mumbai on the west coast is wetter than Pune on the eastern
side of the Ghats and Shillong being on the leeward side of the
Meghalaya plateau receives lesser rainfall than Cherrapunji on the
windward side of the plateau.
- The position of mountains and hills is also a determining factor.
- The north-south arrangement of the Aravali Ranges does not intercept the
wet winds from the Arabian Sea and that’s why Rajasthan remains dry.
- The East-west arrangement of the Himalayas enables them to intercept
the monsoon winds to bring rain to most of the parts of India.
Altitude:
- Places located on a high altitude like the northern mountains experience
low temperatures all year.
- Normal Lapse Rate: 100m altitude, 6’C drop in temp.
- This is why Patna, Prayagraj, Lucknow and Varanasi are relatively
warmer hill stations than the Darjeeling, Nainital, Shimla, Mussoorie
which are located on a much higher altitude.
- Avg temp of Kodaikanal: 16’C
- Avg temp of Madurai: 29’C
- They both are in Tamil Nadu but have a variation in Altitude.
Upper Air Circulation (Jet Streams):
- Jet Streams play an important role in the mechanism of monsoons.
- They are swift blowing winds prevalent at the height 3-5n km above
subtropical high-pressure belts.
- Himalayas act as a barrier and divide the jet stream in that path.
- The westerly jet stream draws temperate cyclones and western
disturbances into north-western India.
- These disturbances originate from regions around the Mediterranean Sea.
- They bring in rainfall to Punjab, Haryana, Uttarakhand, western UP.
- And snowfall in Jammu Kashmir, Ladakh and Himachal Pradesh.
- Easterly jet brings in temperate cyclones or depressions in India.
- These Depressions play an important role in the distribution of rainfall as
they control when monsoons come and go from various places in India.
The El Niño Effect:
- The cold Peruvian current keeps the western pacific ocean warmer than
the Indian Ocean which is why low-pressure conditions prevail here.
- Sometimes the El Nino current appears off the coast of Peru in Dec.
FEATURES OF INDIAN CLIMATE:
Diversity In Climatic Conditions:
- The Indian subcontinent is vast and has varied topography, resulting in
varied climatic conditions.
- Not only from one season to another but also from region to region.
- Equatorial, tropical, semi-arid, temperate and arctic climate are present.
Tropical Monsoon type climate due to monsoon dominance:
- The general climate of India is tropical monsoon type.
- The south-west monsoon winds in summers and north-east monsoon
winds in winters control the climate in India.
- Monsoon winds change direction according to seasons.
- Monsoon climate is most well marked in the Indian subcontinent.
Development of tropical depressions or cyclones over Bay of Bengal:
- End of the monsoon season, cyclones originate over the Bay of Bengal
and Andaman Sea that bring heavy rains and storms along Andhra
Pradesh and Odisha coasts.
- They may also cause floss during the non-monsoon season (oct-nov).
Occurrence of Winter rainfall in specific parts of the country:
- Winter rainfall occurs in north-western India due to westerly depressions
or temperate cyclones originating the Mediterranean Sea region.
- The Coromandel coast receives slight rainfall during winters from the
north-east monsoon winds.
The Four Distinct Seasons in the year:
1. Winter (cold and dry): December to February.
2. Summer (hot and dry): March to May.
3. Monsoon (advancing rains): June to September.
4. Retreating Monsoon (retreating rains) October to November.
THE COLD SEASON (WINTER):
After the monsoon season, temperatures in India start to drop.
The vertical rays of the sun do not fall on any part of subcontinent after the
autumnal equinox (sept 23).
FEATURES:
- Clear cloudless skies
- Fine cool weather
- Low humidity
TEMPERATURE:
- January is the coldest month.
- Extremely low or even sub-zero temperatures are also sometimes seen in
mountainous regions on high altitudes.
- The main form of precipitation in these areas is snowfall.
- Places on the interior of the country are relatively colder than the coastal
regions because of the influence of waterbodies.
- Mean temperature in Chennai(coastal)- 25’C, Varanasi-16’C and in
Srinagar-3’C because its located further north in India.
PRESSURE:
- The land cools faster than the sea, and that’s why high pressure develops
in central Asia and landlocked regions of N and NW India.
- The waterbodies remain relatively warm as they are regions of low
pressure.
WINDS:
- The winds that blow from land to sea from high pressure to low pressure
are known as offshore winds and normally do not bring rain.
- These winds move in a W or NW direction down the ganga valley and in
a N direction in the Ganga delta.
- They follow the path of the northeast trade winds and become north
easterlies over the bay of Bengal.
- This is where they pick up moisture and blow towards Tamil Nadu coast
as north-west monsoon winds.
- These winds make Tamil Nadu the wettest region with severe climate.
WINTER RAINFALL:
a. The Tamil Nadu Coast:
- The north-east monsoon winds cross the Bay of Bengal in October and
meet with a damp wind of retreating monsoons.
- Then they blow directly over the Tamil Nadu coast giving it the wettest
and most disturbed weather of the whole year.
- Heavy rain accompanied by stormy winds sweep over the south-east
coastal region and cause great damage to crops and human life.
- Tamil Nadu receives about 70cm of rainfall from October-January.
b. North-West India:
- Parts of Punjab, Haryana, Jammu Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, northern
Rajasthan, Uttarakhand and western UP.
- These regions receive light-moderate rainfall due to western disturbances
originating from the Mediterranean Sea region.
- This rain is beneficial to rabi crops esp. wheat and barley.
- The Himalayas also receive some snowfall due to cyclonic depressions.
THE HOT SEASON (SUMMER):
When the vertical rays of the sun advance towards the Tropic of Cancer, the
summer or hot season approaches.
The belt of maximum temperature moves from the southern parts of India to the
Northern Plains during March and April.
TEMPERATURE:
- Very high temperatures, esp. in continental interiors.
- Southern parts of the peninsula and coastal regions, max temp: 35’C
- In the northern plains max temp exceeds 40’C.
- NW Rajasthan, max temp exceeds 45’C because it is in a landlocked area,
it receives almost direct rays of the sun, there is presence of sandy soil
here and lack of cloud cover.
- These high temperatures cause a low-pressure belt to build up here.
- The waterbodies are centers of high pressure as water takes times to
absorb heat. And thus, a strong pressure gradient gets established from
the subtropical high-pressure belt in the Indian Ocean, south of the
equator, to the low-pressure trough over the northern plains.
- By May, the low-pressure area spreads across the northern plains.
- Places at higher altitudes, like hill stations are cooler and the coastal have
more equable climate due to the moderating influence of the seas.
WINDS:
a. Loo:
- Is a hot, dry, and dusty wind that blows in summer during the afternoons.
- Originates in Rajasthan and blows over the Northern Plains and Punjab,
Haryana, Delhi, UP and Bihar.
- It causes heat waves that may be fatal for many.
b. Kerala and Karnataka:
- Thunderstorms accompanied by rain are common here.
- They are known as Mango Showers in Kerala.
- And Cherry Blossom Showers in Karnataka.
- They are favorable for growth of tea and coffee crops.
c. Kalbaishakhi:
- They bring dust, storms, heavy rain & thunder-lightning to West Bengal.
- It gives relief during the hot dry summer months though the high wind
speed may cause destruction of life and property.
- ‘Kalbaishakhi’ means calamity in the month of Baisakh.
- But this rain is quite beneficial for crops esp. jute and rice.
d. Bardoli Cheerha:
- The Northwesters of Assam are very favorable for tea crops.
THE MONSOON SEASON:
The low-pressure region that’ gets developed over the northern plains due to
intense heat is known as the monsoon trough.
This area attracts moisture-bearing winds from surrounding waterbodies where
high pressure prevails.
In the process, the south-east trade winds from the southern hemisphere get
attracted towards the low-pressure area over NW India.
When they cross the equator, they are deflected towards their right and then they
blow over the Indian subcontinent as SW monsoon winds. These winds carry a
lot of moisture and bring rain to large parts of India.
By June, the low-pressure depression intensifies in NW India.
When the difference in pressure increases between land and water, a strong
pressure gradient gets established and attracts a lot of moisture-laiden air from
high pressure regions over southern Indian Ocean and Arabian Sea.
By mid-June, the SW monsoon winds arrive bringing rains and thunder-
lightning known as ‘burst of the monsoon.’
India: Peninsular shape, which is why the SW monsoon winds split into the
Arabian sea branch and Bay of Bengal Branch.
THE ARABIAN SEA BRANCH:
- The Arabian sea branch has almost three times the volume of rain in the
Bay of Bengal branch.
- This branch reaches SW coast of India by end May-early June.
- Kerala receives the SW monsoon rains first.
- The Western Ghats force moist air to rise quite high.
- Heavy rain falls on the windward slopes of the Western Ghats.
- The leeward side receives only 60cm of rainfall.
- Moving from west to east, the rain keeps getting lesser.
- After the Ghats, the winds blow across the plateau and reach MP,
Jharkhand and Odisha giving them moderate rainfall.
- A part of this wind enters Narmada Valley and brings rainfall to Chhota
Nagpur Plateau.
- Further north, a part of these winds passes over Rajasthan but not much
rainfall is showered there because the Aravali Range runs almost parallel
to the direction of this branch and does not form a barrier to intercept the
winds.
- The Thar desert in western Rajasthan is very arid.
- While blowing along the Aravali Range, the monsoon winds go straight
to the sub-Himalayan region and gives rainfall to the foothills of western
Himalayas, eastern Punjab, NE Rajasthan.
- This is where it meets the Bay of Bengal branch.
BAY OF BENGAL BRANCH:
- This branch hits Andaman and Nicobar islands in the Bay of
Bengal by end of May.
- then they move northward picking up moisture from BOB.
- They pass through the Ganga-Brahmaputra delta and strike the
Himalayas, Chittagong hills and assam hills.
- They cause very heavy rain in Sikkim, West Bengal, Arunachal
Pradesh.
- The funnel shaped hills of Garo, Khasi and Jaintia cause the
moisture laiden winds to rise and cause the world’s heaviest
rainfall in Cherrapunji.
- One part of this branch is deflected in a westerly direction,
blowing from south-east between Himalayas and plateau of
peninsular India.
- As this wind keeps shedding its moisture, the moisture gradually
decreases while moving westward up to Jammu-Kashmir.
- Rainfall decreases from east-> west.
- Aravali range act as a barrier to this wind.
- The thar desert lies of the leeward or rain shadow side of the
Aravali hills and receives little to no rainfall and thus arid
climatic conditions prevail.
- The BOB branch flows parallel to the eastern coast of India
which is why it fails to bring rain to the eastern coastal plains.
- The leeward side of the western ghats receives some rain from
the arabian sea branch.
- This is why the eastern coastal plains are much drier than the
western counterparts in summer.
- During monsoon season, the wet spells and strong winds last for
only a few days and then comes the period of monsoon lull.
- This refers to the dry spell between two wet spells.
- The monsoon season in India lasts for 100-120 days on avg.
- In Rajasthan it is 45-50 days. (min)
- In Kerala it can go up to 6months. (max)
- Temps lower in the wet season due to cloudiness and rainfall.