CLIMATE – ICSE GEOGRAPHY COMPACT NOTES

1. Meaning of Monsoon

 ‘Monsoon’ = Arabic word ‘Mausim’ meaning season

 Used by seamen centuries ago for alternating winds over Arabian Sea
 Winds: SW for 6 months, NE for 6 months
 Reverse direction seasonally = Monsoon Winds
 India’s climate = Tropical Monsoon Type
 Features: Hot summers, Rainy monsoon, Mild winters
 Monsoon = 75–80% of annual rainfall
 Supports agriculture, water, ecosystems

2. Monsoon Winds = Large-scale Land & Sea Breezes

 Caused by differential heating of land & sea

 Named based on direction:
 SW Monsoon
 NE Monsoon
 Alternation of seasons determines India’s climate

3. The Four Seasons of India

 India’s peninsular shape + 3-sided water = unique monsoon path

 4 main seasons due to monsoon variation:

1. Hot Dry Season (March–May)

2. Rainy Season / SW Monsoon (June–Sept)

3. Retreating SW Monsoon (Oct–Nov)

4. Cold Season / NE Monsoon (Dec–Feb)

(i) Hot Dry Season (March–May)

Temperature

 Sun shines over Tropic of Cancer

 Intense heat on land
 Low pressure on land, high over sea
 Temp rise south to north
 May:
 Rajasthan: 45°C–50°C
 Central India: ~45°C
 South: 38°C–40°C

Pressure & Winds

 Low pressure trough: Thar Desert to Chhotanagpur Plateau

 Sea = cooler, has high pressure
 SE trade winds pulled to land, turn into SW Monsoon in June

Storms

 May: Low pressure trough causes thunderstorms + dusty winds

 Rain in Punjab, Haryana, UP
 Local Winds:
 (a) Kali Baisakhi (West Bengal): Means ‘Calamity of Baisakhi’, Norwesters, thunderstorms + heavy rain, good for tea
(Assam), jute & rice (Bengal)
 (b) Loo: Hot, dry, dusty winds in May–June, blow in Northern Plains, temp 45°C–50°C, may cause fatal sunstroke
 (c) Mango Showers (South India): April–May, help mango, tea, coffee. Also called Cherry Blossom (Karnataka)

Key Features – Hot Dry Season

 Dry weather, excessive heat

 Sun overhead Tropic of Cancer
 Whole tropical India = very hot
 High temp range in interior
 Low temp range on coast = equable climate
 Thunderstorms + dusty winds common
 Brief rains help tea (Assam), rice (Bengal), mango, tea, coffee (South)

(ii) Rainy Season / SW Monsoon (June–Sept)

 Starts over Malabar Coast, Kerala = spectacular

 Sudden change in scenery: Green fields, full rivers

Monsoon Mechanism

 ‘Monsoon’ = Arabic ‘Mausim’ = season

 Arab sailors used for seasonal reversal of winds
 Winds blow: SW to NE in summer, NE to SW in winter
 So: Monsoon = seasonal winds reversing every 6 months

Origin of Monsoon

 Monsoons = large-scale land & sea breezes

 Sun shines overhead Tropic of Cancer from March–May

1. South-West Monsoon (Onset: June)

 Land heats → Low pressure over India, High over seas

 SE Trade Winds cross Equator → Deflected SW → Moisture from Arabian Sea
 Called SW Monsoon: blow SW to NE
 Visible on satellite: 1–5 June

Key Features

 Periodic winds (June–Sept)

 Blow SW–NE
 Uneven, erratic, orographic rainfall

Rainfall on windward Western Ghats

 Deccan in rain shadow → less rain

2. SW Monsoon Branches

 Arabian Sea Branch

 Hits Kerala: 1st June
 Heavy rain on Western Ghats (e.g., Mahabaleshwar: 250 cm; Pune: <70 cm)
 Deccan Plateau in rain shadow
 Rajasthan: little rain due to Aravallis' parallel alignment + heat absorbs moisture
 Volume 3× Bay of Bengal branch
 Ends in Punjab after merging with Bay branch
 Bay of Bengal Branch
 First hits: Andaman, Sri Lanka
 Target: low pressure in N. Myanmar
 Intercepted by NE Hills (Garo, Khasi, Jaintia)
 Mawsynram (Meghalaya): highest rainfall (1187.3 cm); Shillong in rain shadow
 Moves west along Himalayas → Rain in WB, U.P., Haryana, Punjab
 Merges with Arabian branch at Himalayan foothills

3. Retreating SW Monsoon (Oct–Nov)

 Sun shifts south → Low pressure over seas

 Winds blow NE to SW
 Causes rain in Tamil Nadu, Andhra (esp. Coromandel coast)
 Brings cyclones from Bay of Bengal
 “October Heat”: high temp + humidity + clear skies

Key Features

 Begins Sept (Punjab) → ends Nov (South India)

 Brings winter rain to SE coast
 Causes damage from cyclones
 Tamil Nadu: gets ~70 cm in this season

4. Cold Season / NE Monsoon (Dec–Mar)

 Sun shines over Tropic of Capricorn → Land: high pressure

 Winds blow NE → pick moisture over Bay → Rain in SE India
 Clear skies, cool weather, low humidity
 NE winds blocked from Arabian Sea by Deccan Plateau

Temperature

 North: 2.5°–17.5°C (coldest in Jan)

 Dras: –45°C (coldest in India)
 South: >21°C (Thiruvananthapuram: 31°C)

Rainfall

 Tamil Nadu (Nagapattinam): 100 cm; Karnataka Plateau: 3–4 cm

 North: Westerly disturbances from Mediterranean → Rain/snow in J&K, HP, Punjab, Haryana
 Useful for wheat & barley (Rabi crops)

5. Rainfall Regions

 Over 200 cm: Eastern Himalayas, Assam Hills, Western Ghats (Konkan, Malabar)
 100–200 cm: Bihar, WB, MP, N. Andhra, Telangana, S. TN, E. Maharashtra
 50–100 cm: Upper Ganga, E. Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana, Kashmir, Karnataka Plateau
 < 50 cm: W. Rajasthan, S. Punjab, N. Kashmir, Deccan Plateau
 Trend: Rain decreases NW in North; interiorward in South

CLIMATE CHANGE - IMPACT ON INDIAN MONSOON

 Impact of climate change on Indian Monsoon overwhelming in past decade.
 Monsoon = seasonal winds + heavy rainfall
 Crucial for agriculture, water
 Features: Onset, Withdrawal, Active & break, Depressions
 Global warming affects all aspects
 Very heavy rains + floods in Gujarat, Rajasthan — caused by:

1. Shifting Monsoon Trough: Shifted northward, stayed long = rain in dry areas

2. Intensified Cyclonic Circulations: Over Arabian Sea, more moisture, heavy inland rain

3. Western Disturbances: Mediterranean storms + monsoon = heavy rain in arid regions

4. Arabian Sea Warming: More evaporation → more moisture → NW India rains

5. Climate Variability (e.g., La Niña): Alters monsoon pattern → surprise heavy rains

 6. Orographic Lifting & Local Thunderstorms: Local highlands + wind changes = intense downpours

1. INTRODUCTION

 India's climate varies due to size, topography, and location.

 Climate ranges from tropical (south) to temperate (north).
 Tropic of Cancer (23½°N) divides India into two zones:
 - Northern Temperate Zone
 - Southern Tropical Zone
 Himalayas block cold winds from Central Asia.
 India’s climate is broadly described as Tropical Monsoon Climate.

KEY POINTS

 Main influences on Indian climate:

 - Tropic of Cancer
 - Himalayan Range
 Summer:
 - Low pressure over land
 - SW Monsoon winds bring rain
 Winter:
 - High pressure over land
 - NE Monsoon winds blow towards sea
 Western coast: heavy summer rain (SW Monsoon)
 Eastern coast: rain in winter
 Himalayas: snow in winter; South India: no snow

Factors Affecting Temperature

 Location: North = continental climate; South = moderate

 Himalayas block cold winds and trap moisture
 Altitude: Higher altitude = lower temperature
 Distance from Sea:
 - Interior = extreme climate
 - Coastal = equable climate
 Western Disturbances:
 - Winter cyclones from Mediterranean
 - Rain in Punjab, Haryana; snow in Himalayas
 Tropical Cyclones:
 - Summer: East Coast affected by Bay of Bengal storms
 Jet Streams: Affect monsoon onset/departure
 El Nino:
 - Warms Pacific Ocean → weak monsoon, drought in India
 La Nina:
 - Cool Pacific Ocean → strong monsoon, excess rain
 Local Winds: e.g., Loo (hot dry wind in North India)
 Pressure Systems:
 - Low pressure in summer draws monsoon winds
 - ITCZ shifts northward to bring rain

3. CLIMATE OF INDIA

 Despite diversity, monsoons unify Indian climate.

Climatic Contrasts in India

 Climate varies by region: influenced by geography & monsoon

 North of Tropic of Cancer:
 - Summer: Hot (up to 50°C in Rajasthan)
 - Winter: Very cold (Dras: –40°C)
 South of Tropic of Cancer:
 - Hot all year (25°C–27°C); no winter
 - e.g., Bengaluru
 Coastal regions:
 - Equable climate (Mumbai, Goa, Chennai)
 - Temp range only 3°C to 5°C

Rainfall

 Highest: Mawsynram (Meghalaya) – 1187 cm

 Lowest: Thar Desert (Rajasthan) – less than 25 cm
 Monsoon can cause floods or droughts due to erratic nature