Geography

Chapter 4 Climate
 Introduction:
 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. The elements of weather and climate are the same, i.e.
temperature, atmospheric pressure, wind, humidity and precipitation.
 We have observed that the weather conditions fluctuate very often even
within a day. But there is some common pattern over a few weeks or
months, i.e. days are cool or hot, windy or calm, cloudy or bright, and
wet or dry.
 On the basis of the generalised monthly atmospheric conditions, the
year is divided into seasons such as winter, summer or rainy seasons.
The world is divided into a number of climatic regions.
 The climate of India is described as the ‘monsoon’ type.
 In Asia, this type of climate is found mainly in the south and the
southeast. Despite an overall unity in the general pattern, there are
perceptible regional variations in climatic conditions within the country.
 Let us take two important elements – temperature and precipitation, and
examine how they vary from place to place and season to season.
 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.
 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.
 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.
 In general, coastal areas experience less contrasts in temperature
conditions. Seasonal contrasts are more in the interior of the country.
There is decrease in rainfall generally from east to west in the Northern
Plains.
 These variations have given rise to variety in lives of people – in terms
of the food they eat, the clothes they wear and also the kind of houses
they live in.
 CLIMATIC CONTROLS:
 There are six major controls of the climate of any place. They are: latitude,
altitude, pressure and wind system, distance from the sea (continentality),
ocean currents and relief features.
 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. 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. 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.
 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 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.
 Finally, 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 cause precipitation if they are high enough and lie in the path of
rain-bearing winds. The leeward side of mountains remains relatively
dry.
Factors Affecting 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.
 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.
 In summer, a low-pressure area develops over interior Asia, as well as,
over northwestern India. This causes a complete reversal of the direction
of winds during summer.
 Air moves from the high-pressure area over the southern Indian Ocean,
in a south-easterly direction, crosses the equator, and turns right
towards the low-pressure areas over the Indian subcontinent. These are
known as the Southwest Monsoon winds.
 These winds blow over the warm oceans, gather moisture and bring
widespread rainfall over the mainland of India.
The Seasons:
 The monsoon type of climate is characterised by a distinct seasonal
pattern.
 The weather conditions greatly change from one season to the other.
These changes are particularly noticeable in the interior parts of the
country.
 The coastal areas do not experience much variation in temperature
though there is variation in rainfall pattern.
 Four main seasons can be identified in India – the cold weather season,
the hot weather season, the advancing monsoon and the retreating
monsoon with some regional variations.
The Cold Weather Season
(Winter)
 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.
 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.
 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.
 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. 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 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 welldefined cold season. There is
hardly any noticeable seasonal change in temperature pattern during
winters due to the moderating influence of the sea
The Hot Weather Season
(Summer)
 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.
 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 northwestern parts
of the country. In peninsular India, temperatures remain lower due to the
moderating influence of the oceans
 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.
 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 northwestern 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’.
 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’.
 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 southwesterly
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.
 Another phenomenon associated with the monsoon is its tendency to have
‘breaks’ in rainfall. Thus, it has wet and dry spells.
 In other words, the monsoon rains take 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.
 For various reasons, the 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 rain 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 tropical depressions too, determine the
amount and duration of monsoon rains. These depressions form at the
head of the Bay of Bengal and cross over to the mainland.
 The depressions follow the axis of the “monsoon trough of low
pressure”. The monsoon is known for its uncertainties. The alternation of
dry and wet spells vary in intensity, frequency and duration.
 While it causes heavy floods in one part, it may be responsible for
droughts in the other. It is often irregular in its arrival and its retreat.
Hence, it sometimes disturbs the farming schedule of millions of farmers
all over the country.
Retreating/Post Monsoons (The Transition Season

 During October-November, 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.
 The months of October-November form a period of transition from hot
rainy season to dry winter conditions. 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.
 The low-pressure conditions, over northwestern 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.
Distribution of Rainfall:
 Parts of western coast and northeastern India receive over about 400 cm
of rainfall annually. 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. Why do these regions receive low rainfall?
 A third area of low precipitation is around Leh in Jammu and Kashmir.
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.
Monsoon as a unifying bond:
 The Himalayas protect the subcontinent from extremely cold winds from
central Asia. This enables northern India to have uniformly higher
temperatures compared to other areas on the same latitudes.
 Similarly, the Peninsular plateau, under the influence of the sea from
three sides, has moderate temperatures. Despite such moderating
influences, there are great variations in the temperature conditions.
 Nevertheless, 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.
Do You Know?