Chapter -Climate

Q1. State the three basic elements of natural environment of any area.
Ans. The three basic elements of natural environment of any area are:
➢ Landforms
➢ Drainage
➢ Atmospheric conditions that prevail over that area.
Q2. Define climate and Weather.
Ans Climate refers to the sum total of weather conditions and variations over a large
area for a long period of time (more than thirty years).
Weather refers to the state of the atmosphere over an area at any point of
time.
Q3. State the elements on which weather and climate depends.
Ans. The elements of weather and climate are the same, i.e. temperature,
atmospheric pressure, wind, humidity and precipitation.
Q4. What do you understand by the term ‘Monsoon’?
Ans. The word monsoon is derived from the Arabic word ‘mausim’ which literally
means seasons. Monsoon refers to seasonal reversal in the wind direction during a
year.
Q5. What type of climate is experienced in India?
[Link] climate of India is described as the ‘monsoon’ type. In Asia, this type of
climate is found mainly in the south and the southeast.
Q6. ‘Despite an overall unity in the general pattern, there are perceptible regional
variations in climatic conditions within the country’. Explain.
Or
Describe the regional variations in the climatic conditions of India with the help
of suitable examples.
Ans. Despite an overall unity in the general pattern, there are perceptible regional
variations in climatic conditions within the country because the two important
elements i.e. temperature and precipitation vary from place to place and season to
season.
Variation in temperature
• In summer, the mercury occasionally touches 50°C in some parts of the
Rajasthan desert, whereas it may be around 20°C in Pahalgam in Jammu and
Kashmir.

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 • Temperature - On a winter night, temperature at Drass in Jammu and Kashmir
may be as low as minus 45°C. Thiruvananthapuram, on the other hand, may
have a temperature of 22°C.
• In certain areas there is a wide difference between day and night
temperatures. In the thar desert the day temperature may rise to 50°C, and
drop down to near 15°C the same night. On the other hand, there is hardly
any difference in day and night temperatures in the Andaman and Nicobar
islands or in Kerala.
Variation in Precipitation
• There are variations not only in the form and types of precipitation but also in
its amount and the seasonal distribution.
• While precipitation is mostly in the form of snowfall in the upper parts of
Himalayas, it rains over the rest of the country.
• The annual precipitation varies from over 400 cm in Meghalaya to less than
10 cm in Ladakh and western Rajasthan.
• Most parts of the country receive rainfall from June to September. But some
parts like the Tamil Nadu coast gets a large portion of its rain during October
and November.
Q7. Discuss the major controls of climate of any place.
Ans The major controls of climate of any place are:
• Latitude - Due to the curvature of the earth, the amount of solar energy
received varies according to latitude. As a result, air temperature generally
decreases from the equator towards the poles.
• Altitude - As one goes from the surface of the earth to higher altitudes, the
atmosphere becomes less dense and temperature decreases. The hills are
therefore cooler during summers.
• Pressure and Wind system - The pressure and wind system of any area
depend on the latitude and altitude of the place. Thus it influences the
temperature and rainfall pattern.
• Distance from the Sea - The sea exerts a moderating influence on climate:
As the distance from the sea increases, its moderating influence decreases
and the people experience extreme weather conditions. This condition is
known as continentality (i.e. very hot during summers and very cold during
winters).
• Ocean currents - Ocean currents along with onshore winds affect the climate
of the coastal areas, For example, any coastal area with warm or cold
currents flowing past it, will be warmed or cooled if the winds are onshore.
• Relief features - Relief too plays a major role in determining the climate of a
place. High mountains act as barriers for cold or hot winds; they may also

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 cause precipitation if they are high enough and lie in the path of rain-bearing
winds. The leeward side of mountains remains relatively dry.

Q8. What is continentality?

Ans. As the distance from the sea increases, its moderating influence decreases and
the people experience extreme weather conditions. This condition is known as
continentality (i.e. very hot during summers and very cold during winters).
Q9. Explain the factors affecting India’s climate.
Ans. FACTORS AFFECTING INDIA’S CLIMATE
• Latitude - The Tropic of Cancer passes through the middle of the country
from the Rann of Kuchchh in the west to Mizoram in the east. Almost half of
the country, lying south of the Tropic of Cancer, belongs to the tropical area.
All the remaining area, north of the Tropic, lies in the sub-tropics. Therefore,
India’s climate has characteristics of tropical as well as subtropical climates.
• Altitude - India has mountains to the north, which have an average height of
about 6,000 metres. India also has a vast coastal area where the maximum
elevation is about 30 metres. The Himalayas prevent the cold winds from
Central Asia from entering the subcontinent. It is because of these mountains
that this subcontinent experiences comparatively milder winters as compared
to central Asia.
• Pressure and Winds
• The climate and associated weather conditions in India are governed by the
following atmospheric conditions:
• Pressure and surface winds;
• Upper air circulation; and
• Western cyclonic disturbances and tropical cyclones.
• India lies in the region of north easterly winds. These winds originate from the
subtropical high-pressure belt of the northern hemisphere.
• They blow southwards, get deflected to the right due to the Coriolis force, and
move towards the equatorial low-pressure area. Generally, these winds carry
little moisture as they originate and blow over land. Therefore, they bring little
or no rain. Hence, India should have been an arid land, but it is not so.
• The pressure and wind conditions over India are unique. During winter there
is a high pressure area north of the Himalayas, cold dry winds blow from this
region to the low pressure areas over the oceans to the South.

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 • In summer a low pressure area develops over interior Asia as well as over
North Western India this causes a complete reversal of the direction of winds
during summer.
• Air moves from the high pressure area over the southern oceans in a south
easterly direction crosses the equator and turns right towards the low
pressure areas over the Indian subcontinent.
• These are known as Southwest monsoon. These winds blows over the warm
oceans gather moisture and bring wide spread rainfall over the mainland of
India.

Q10. What is Coriolis force?

Ans An apparent force caused by earth’s rotation. The Coriolis force is responsible
for deflecting winds towards the right in the northern hemisphere and towards the left
in the southern hemisphere. This is also known as Ferrel’s law.

Q11. Give an account of weather conditions and characteristics of cold season.

The Cold Weather Season (Winter)
Duration
• The cold weather season begins from mid-November in northern India and
stays till February. December and January are the coldest months in the
northern part of India.
Temperature
• The temperature decreases from south to the north. The average
temperature of Chennai, on the eastern coast, is between 24° – 25° Celsius,
while in the northern plains, it ranges between 10°C and 15° Celsius. Days
are warm and nights are cold. Frost is common in the north and the higher
slopes of the Himalayas experience snowfall.
Wind system
• During this season, the northeast trade winds prevail over the country. They
blow from land to sea and hence, for most part of the country, it is a dry
season. Some amount of rainfall occurs on the Tamil Nadu coast from these
winds as, here they blow from sea to land.
Pressure conditions
• In the northern part of the country, a feeble high-pressure region develops,
with light winds moving outwards from this area. Influenced by the relief, these
winds blow through the Ganga valley from the west and the northwest.
Characteristic Features
• The weather is normally marked by clear sky, low temperatures and low
humidity and feeble, variable winds.
• A characteristic feature of the cold weather season over the northern plains is
the inflow of cyclonic disturbances from the west and the northwest. These
low-pressure systems, originate over the Mediterranean Sea and western

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 Asia and move into India, along with the westerly flow. They cause the much-
needed winter rains over the plains and snowfall in the mountains. Although
the total amount of winter rainfall locally known as ‘mahawat’ is small, they are
of immense importance for the cultivation of ‘rabi’ crops.
• The peninsular region does not have a well defined cold season. There is
hardly any noticeable seasonal change in temperature pattern during winters
due to the moderating influence of the sea.
Q12. Give an account of weather conditions and characteristic features of hot
weather season.
The Hot Weather Season (Summer)
Duration
• Due to the apparent northward movement of the sun, the global heat belt
shifts northwards. As such, from March to May, it is hot weather season in
India. The influence of the shifting of the heat belt can be seen clearly from
temperature recordings taken during March-May at different latitudes.
Temperature
• In March, the highest temperature is about 38° Celsius, recorded on the
Deccan plateau. In April, temperatures in Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh are
around 42° Celsius. In May, temperature of 45° Celsius is common in the
north-western parts of the country. In peninsular India, temperatures remain
lower due to the moderating influence of the oceans.
Pressure conditions
• The summer months experience rising temperature and falling air pressure in
the northern part of the country. Towards the end of May, an elongated low-
pressure area develops in the region extending from the Thar Desert in the
northwest to Patna and Chotanagpur plateau in the east and southeast.
Circulation of air begins to set in around this trough.
Characteristic Features
• A striking feature of the hot weather season is the ‘loo’. These are strong,
gusty, hot, dry winds blowing during the day over the north and north-western
India. Sometimes they even continue until late in the evening. Direct exposure
to these winds may even prove to be fatal.
• Dust storms are very common during the month of May in northern India.
These storms bring temporary relief as they lower the temperature and may
bring light rain and cool breeze.

• This is also the season for localised thunderstorms, associated with violent
winds, torrential downpours, often accompanied by hail. In West Bengal,
these storms are known as the ‘Kaal Baisakhi’.

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 • Towards the close of the summer season, pre-monsoon showers are common
especially, in Kerala and Karnataka. They help in the early ripening of
mangoes, and are often referred to as ‘mango showers’.
Q13. Give the characteristics and effects of advancing monsoon in India.
Advancing Monsoon (The Rainy Season)
• By early June, the low-pressure condition over the northern plains intensifies.
It attracts the trade winds of the southern hemisphere.
• These south-east trade winds originate over the warm subtropical areas of
the southern oceans. They cross the equator and blow in a south-westerly
direction entering the Indian peninsula as the south-west monsoon.
• As these winds blow over warm oceans, they bring abundant moisture to the
subcontinent. These winds are strong and blow at an average velocity of 30
km per hour. With the exception of the extreme north-west, the monsoon
winds cover the country in about a month.
• The inflow of the south-west monsoon into India brings about a total change in
the weather. Early in the season, the windward side of the Western Ghats
receives very heavy rainfall, more than 250 cm. The Deccan Plateau and
parts of Madhya Pradesh also receive some amount of rain in spite of lying in
the rain shadow area.
• The maximum rainfall of this season is received in the north-eastern part of
the country. Mawsynram in the southern ranges of the Khasi Hills receives the
highest average rainfall in the world. Rainfall in the Ganga valley decreases
from the east to the west. Rajasthan and parts of Gujarat get scanty rainfall.
Q14. Give an account of weather conditions and characteristic features of retreating
monsoon in India
Retreating/Post Monsoons (The Transition Season)
Duration
• During October-November, India experiences retreating monsoon season.
Pressure and wind system
• With the apparent movement of the sun towards the south, the monsoon
trough or the low-pressure trough over the northern plains becomes weaker.
This is gradually replaced by a high-pressure system. The south-west
monsoon winds weaken and start withdrawing gradually. By the beginning of
October, the monsoon withdraws from the Northern Plains.
Transition season
• The months of October-November form a period of transition from hot rainy
season to dry winter conditions.
Characteristic Features

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 • The retreat of the monsoon is marked by clear skies and rise in temperature.
While day temperatures are high, nights are cool and pleasant.
• The land is still moist. Owing to the conditions of high temperature and
humidity, the weather becomes rather oppressive during the day. This is
commonly known as ‘October heat’. In the second half of October, the
mercury begins to fall rapidly in northern India.
Q15. Why delta region of eastern coast of India is frequently stuck by cyclones?
• The low-pressure conditions, over north-western India, get transferred to the
Bay of Bengal by early November. This shift is associated with the occurrence
of cyclonic depressions, which originate over the Andaman Sea.
• These cyclones generally cross the eastern coasts of India cause heavy and
widespread rain. These tropical cyclones are often very destructive.
• The thickly populated deltas of the Godavari, the Krishna and the Kaveri are
frequently struck by cyclones, which cause great damage to life and property.
Sometimes, these cyclones arrive at the coasts of Odisha, West Bengal and
Bangladesh. The bulk of the rainfall of the Coromandel Coast is derived from
depressions and cyclones.
Q16. Explain the distribution of rainfall in India.
DISTRIBUTION OF RAINFALL
High rainfall
• Parts of western coast and northeastern India receive over about 400 cm of
rainfall annually.
Low rainfall
• However, it is less than 60 cm in western Rajasthan and adjoining parts of
Gujarat, Haryana and Punjab. Rainfall is equally low in the interior of the
Deccan plateau, and east of the Sahyadris.
• A third area of low precipitation is around Leh in Jammu and Kashmir.
Moderate rainfall
• The rest of the country receives moderate rainfall. Snowfall is restricted to the
Himalayan region.
• Owing to the nature of monsoons, the annual rainfall is highly variable from
year to year. Variability is high in the regions of low rainfall, such as parts of
Rajasthan, Gujarat and the leeward side of the Western Ghats. As such, while
areas of high rainfall are liable to be affected by floods, areas of low rainfall
are drought-prone.
Q17. Why is the monsoon considered a unifying bond?
MONSOON AS A UNIFYING BOND

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 • The unifying influence of the monsoon on the Indian subcontinent is quite
perceptible.
• The seasonal alteration of the wind systems and the associated weather
conditions provide a rhythmic cycle of seasons. Even the uncertainties of rain
and uneven distribution are very much typical of the monsoons.
• The Indian landscape, its animal and plant life, its entire agricultural calendar
and the life of the people, including their festivities, revolve around this
phenomenon.
• Year after year, people of India from north to south and from east to west,
eagerly await the arrival of the monsoon.
• These monsoon winds bind the whole country by providing water to set the
agricultural activities in motion. The river valleys which carry this water also
unite as a single river valley unit.
Q18. What is ‘breaks in monsoon’?
Another phenomena associated with the monsoon is its tendency to have breaks in
rainfall. Thus, it has wet and dry spells. In other words, the monsoon rain takes place
only for a few days at a time. They are interspersed with rainless intervals. These
breaks in monsoon are related to the movement of the monsoon trough.
Q19 What determines spatial distribution of rainfall?
• The monsoon trough and its axis keep on moving northward or southward
which determines the spatial distribution of rainfall.
• When the axis of the monsoon trough lies over the plains rainfall is good in
these parts.
• On the other hand, whenever the axis shifts closer to the Himalayas there are
longer dry spells in the plains and widespread rainfall occur in the
mountainous catchment areas of the Himalayan rivers.
• These heavy rains bring in their wake devastating floods causing damage to
life and property in the plains.
• The frequency and intensity of the tropical depressions too determine the
amount and duration of monsoon rains. These depressions form at the head
of Bay of Bengal and cross over to the mainland.
• These depression follow the axis of the monsoon trough of low pressure.
Q20 Discuss the influence of north easterly winds on India’s climate.
• India lies in the region of north easterly winds. These winds originate from the
subtropical high-pressure belt of the northern hemisphere.
• They blow southwards, get deflected to the right due to the Coriolis force, and
move towards the equatorial low-pressure area. Generally, these winds carry
little moisture as they originate and blow over land. Therefore, they bring little
or no rain. Hence, India should have been an arid land, but it is not so.

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 • While crossing Bay of Bengal they carry a lot of moisture on their way and
when hit by Tamil Nadu coast they shed their moisture in the form of torrential
rainfall and Tamil Nadu receives the maximum amount of rainfall during the
winter season.
Q21 Explain the phenomenon associated with the monsoon.
Break in rainfall
• Another phenomena associated with the monsoon is its tendency to have
breaks in rainfall. Thus, it has wet and dry spells. In other words, the monsoon
rain takes place only for a few days at a time. They are interspersed with
rainless intervals. These breaks in monsoon are related to the movement of
the monsoon trough.
• The monsoon trough and its axis keep on moving northward or southward
which determines the spatial distribution of rainfall.
• When the axis of the monsoon trough lies over the plains rainfall is good in
these parts.
• On the other hand, whenever the axis shifts closer to the Himalayas there are
longer dry spells in the plains and widespread rainfall occur in the
mountainous catchment areas of the Himalayan rivers.
• These heavy rains bring in their wake devastating floods causing damage to
life and property in the plains.
Tropical depressions
• The frequency and intensity of the tropical depressions too determine the
amount and duration of monsoon rains.
• These depressions form at the head of Bay of Bengal and cross over to the
mainland.
• These depression follow the axis of the monsoon trough of low pressure.
Q22 ‘The monsoon is known for its uncertainities’. Justify
• The monsoon is known for its uncertainities. The alternation of dry and wet
spells vary in intensity, frequency and duration.
• While it causes floods in one part, it may be responsible for droughts in the
other.
• It is often irregular in its arrival and retreat.
• Hence, it sometimes disturbs the farming schedule of millions of farmers all
over the country.
Note- Do Q6,11,12, 14,17 in FC.