CLIMATE QUESTION ANSWERE

VERY SHORT QUESTIONS

1. What is Climate?

Answer: Climate refers to the sum total of weather conditions and variations over a large area
for a long period of time (more than 30 years).

2. What does ‘weather’ mean?

Answer: Weather refers to the state of the atmosphere over an area at any point of time.

[Link] are the elements of weather and climate?

Answer: Temperature, atmospheric pressure, winds, humidity and precipitation are the elements
of weather and climate.

[Link] the term ‘Monsoon’.

Answer: The word monsoon is derived from the Arabic word ‘Mausim’ which literally means
season. Monsoon refers to the seasonal reversal in the wind direction during a year.

[Link] tropic passes just from the centre of India?

Answer: Tropic of Cancer.

[Link] is Coriolis force?

Answer: It is an apparent force caused by earth’s rotation. Coriolis force is responsible for
deflecting winds towards the right in northern hemisphere and towards the left in the southern
hemisphere

[Link] are Western cyclonic disturbances?

Answer: The Western cyclonic disturbances are weather phenomena of the winter months
brought in by the westerly flow from the Mediterranean region.

[Link] do you mean by ‘Burst of Monsoon’?

Answer: Around the time of arrival of the monsoon the normal rainfall increases suddenly, and
continues constantly, for several days. This is known as ‘burst of the monsoon

[Link] is ‘Loo’?

Answer: These are strong gusty, hot dry winds blowing during the day over the north and
northwestern India.

[Link] does ‘breaks in rainfall’ mean?

SHORT AMSWERS

[Link] between climate and weather.

Answer:(i) Climate: It refers to the sum total of the weather conditions and variations over a
large area for a long period of time.

(ii) Weather: It refers to the state of atmosphere over an area at any point of time. The elements
of weather and climate are the same.

[Link] does the latitude affect India’s climate?

Answer: (i) The Tropic of Cancer passes almost from the middle of the country.

(ii) Almost half of the country, lying south of the Tropic of Cancer, belongs to the tropical area.

(iii) All the remaining area in the north of the Tropic lies in the sub-tropical area. Therefore,
India’s climate has characteristics of tropical as well as sub- tropical type of climate

[Link] are western cyclonic disturbances?

Answer: (i) Western cyclonic disturbances are a weather phenomenon of the winters.

(ii) They are brought in by the westerly flow from the Mediterranean region.

(iii) They usually influence the weather of the north and north-western regions of India.

IV) Its crucial for rabi cultivation

[Link] the houses in Rajasthan have thick walls and flat roofs?

Answer: In Rajasthan, the weather is very hot and there is less rainfall. Some part of the state is
covered with desert. The thick walls of the houses insulate the people against the heat in
summer and extreme cold in winter due to the desert. Flat roofs are easier to construct and as
there is not much rainfall, water will not collect on the rooftops.

[Link] is it that the houses in the Tarai region and in Goa and Mangalore have sloping roofs?

Answer: The houses in the Tarai region and in Goa and Mangalore have sloping roofs because
they get heavy rain during the monsoon season. When there are sloping roofs, the rain water
can easily flow off towards the ground or to a receptive unit where water is collected instead of
collecting on the rooftop
[Link] does most of Tamil Nadu not get much rain from the South-West monsoon during the
period June-September?

Answer: This area falls in the leeward region of the Sahyadris (Western Ghats) and so it does
not receive rain from the Arabian sea branch of the monsoon. The Bay of Bengal branch of the
monsoon travels North-Eastwards to Asom and so bypasses Tamil Nadu almost totally. Thus,
Tamil Nadu does not get rainfall from either branch of the advancing monsoon

Long answers

[Link] are the variations in Indian temperature?

Answer: (i) In summer, the maximum temperature goes up to 50oC in some parts of Rajasthan.

(ii) Whereas it may be around 20oC in Pehalgam in Jammu and Kashmir.

(iii) The night temperature at Drass in Jammu and Kashmir may be as low as minus 45oC.

(iv) Thiruvananthapuram, on the other hand may have a temperature of20oC.

(v) In the Thar Desert, the day temperature may rise to 50oC and drop to 15oC the same night.

(vi) On the other hand, there is hardly any difference in the day and night temperatures in
Andaman and Nicobar islands or in Kerala.

[Link] are the six major controls of the climate of the world?

Answer: (i) Latitude: Due to the round shape of the Earth, the amount of solar energy received
varies according to latitude. As a result, air temperature decreases from the equator towards
the poles.

(ii) Altitude: As one moves up to the higher altitudes, the atmosphere becomes less dense and
temperature decreases. Therefore, hills are the cooler during summers.

(iii) Pressure and winds: Pressure and wind system of an area depend on the latitude and
altitude of the place. Thus, it influences the temperature and rainfall pattern.

(iv) Distance from the sea: If the region is close to the sea, it makes the temperature moderate
but if it is away from the sea, it experiences extreme weather conditions.

(v) Ocean currents: Ocean currents along with the onshore winds affect the climate of a coastal
area. Any coastal area with warm or cold currents flowing past it, will become warm or cold if
the winds are onshore.

(vi) Relief: High mountains act as barriers for cold and hot winds. They may also cause
precipitation if they lie in the path of rain-bearing winds. The leeward side of mountains remains
dry, whereas the windward side is able to receive rain.
[Link] do you know about the onset of monsoon in India?

Answer: (i) Around the time of arrival of the monsoon, the normal rainfall increases suddenly
and continues constantly for several days.

(ii) This is known as ‘burst’ of the monsoon and can be distinguished from the pre-monsoon
showers.

(iii) The monsoon arrives at the southern tip of the Indian Peninsula generally by the first week
of June.

(iv) Then it gets divided into two?the Arabian Sea branch and the Bay of Bengal branch. (v) The
Arabian Sea branch reaches Mumbai about ten days later.

(vi) The Bay of Bengal branch also advances rapidly and arrives in Assam in the first week of
June.

[Link] the chief characteristics of the cold weather season in India.

Answer: (i) Cold weather season takes place from December to February.

(ii) The temperature decreases from south to north.

(iii) The average temperature of the Northern Plains ranges between 10o to 50oC whereas the
average temperature of Chennai is between 24oC to 25oC.

(iv) Days are warm and nights are cold. (v) During this season, northeast trade winds prevail
over the country; they blow from the land to the sea and are dry.

(vi) Tamil Nadu coast receives rainfall, as these winds blow from the sea to the land.

(vii) The weather is marked by clear skies, low temperatures, low humidity and feeble variable

winds.

[Link] is the role of western disturbances’ in the Indian climate?

Answer: (i) A characteristic feature of the cold weather season over the northern plains is the
inflow of cyclonic disturbances from the west and the northwest.

(ii) These low pressure systems originate over the Mediterranean sea and Western Asia and
move into India, along with easterly flow.

(iii) They cause the much needed winter rains over the plains and snowfall in the mountains.

(iv) Although the total amount of winter rainfall, locally known as ‘Mahawat’ is small, it is very
useful for rabi crops. These winds are called western disturbances since they came from the
western part of India.
[Link] the chief characteristics of the hot weather season in India.

Answer: (i) India experiences the hot weather season from the month of March to May. (ii) The
temperature in the northern plains of India is between 42 to 45oC and in the Deccan plateau,
between 35 to 38oC.

(iii) Towards the end of May, an elongated low pressure area develops in the region extending
from the Thar Desert to Patna and Chotanagpur plateau.

(iv) During the hot weather season, strong, gusty, hot, dry winds known as the ‘Loo’ blows. Direct
exposure to these winds may even prove to be fatal.

(v) Dust storms are very common during the month of May in northern India. These storms
bring temporary relief as they lower the temperatures.

(vi) This is also the season of localised thunderstorms associated with violent winds and
torrential rains known as Kaal Baisakhi in West Bengal.

[Link] is the distribution of rainfall in India?

Answer:(i) 1 lie western coast and northeastern India receive rainfall of over about 400cm.

(ii) It is less than 60 cm in western Rajasthan and adjoining parts of Gujarat, Haryana and
Punjab.

(iii) Rainfall is equally low in tile interiors of the Dec can plateau and east of the Sahyadris. (iv) A
third area of low precipitation is around Leh in jammu and Kashmir.

(v) The rest oi the country receives model ate rainfall.

(vi) Snowfall is restricted to the Himalayan region.

[Link] is monsoon considered a unifying bond?

Answer: (i) The Himalayas protect the subcontinent from extremely cold winds from Central
Asia. This enables northern India to have uniformly higher temperature when compared to oilier
areas on the same latitude.

(ii) The Peninsular plateau under the influence of the sea from three sides has moderate
temperatures.

(iii) The seasonal alternation of wind systems and the associated weather conditions provides a
rhythmic cycle of seasons.

(iv) Even the uncertainties of rain and uneven distribution are very typical of the monsoon.

(v) The Indian landscape, its animals and plant life, its entire agricultural calendar and the life of
the people including their festivities revolve around this phenomenon.
(vi) These monsoon winds bind the whole country by providing water to get the agricultural
activities in motion. The river valleys which carry this water also unite as a single river valley unit.

9..Why does the rainfall decrease from east to the west in northern India?

Answer: (i) The northern plains receive rains from the Bay of Bengal branch of the S.W.
monsoons.

(ii) It strikes the Myanmar’s Arkan mountains and gets deflected westward along the Himalayas.

(iii) Maximum precipitation is recorded in the north-eastern part of India and West Bengal.

(iv) As the monsoon moves westwards, they gradually lose moisture and rainfall decreases
from east to west over the northern plains.

(v) The clouds are almost exhausted by the time they reach western Rajasthan