Climate

Weather and Climate

Weather Climate
(i) Weather is the state atmosphere at (i) Climate refers to the sum total of weather
any point in time and space, it changes conditions and variations over a large area for
every moment. a long period of time. It is the sum total of
average weather conditions of 30 years.
(ii) Elements of weather are temperature, (ii) Elements of climate are the same as those
atmospheric pressure, wind, humidity, of water.
and precipitation.
(iii)Example: Cloudy, dry, windy, wet (iii) Example: Monsoon, equatorial desert,
weather. cold climate etc.

(a) India has Diverse Climatic Conditions:

We can take two important elements-temperature and precipitation, and examine how they
vary from place to place and season to season.

Temperature –
(i) In summer, the mercury occasionally touches 50o C in some parts of the Rajasthan desert,
whereas it may be around 20o C in Pahalgam in Jammu and Kashmir. On a winter night, the
temperature at Drass in Jammu and Kashmir may be as low minus 45o C. Thiruvananthapuram,
on the other hand, may have a temperature of 20o C.
(ii) In certain places, there is a wide difference between day and night temperatures. In the
Thar Desert, the day temperature may rise to 50o C, and drop down to near 15o 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.
Precipitation –
There are variations not only in the form and types of precipitation but also in its amount and the
seasonal distribution.

(i) While precipitation is mostly in the form of snowfall in the upper parts of Himalayas, it
rains over the rest of the country.
(ii) The annual precipitation varies from over 400 cm in Meghalaya to less than 10 cm in
Ladakh and western Rajasthan.
(iii) Most parts of the country receive rainfall from June to September. But some parts like the
Tamil Nadu coast get most of its rain during October and November. Coastal areas experience
less contrast in temperature conditions, seasonal contrast is more in the interior of the country.

CLIMATIC CONTROLS

The climate of a place is determined by the interplay of various factors such as location, altitude,
distance from the sea, pressure and winds and upper air circulation.
(i) Due to the curvature 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) As one goes from the surface of the earth to higher to higher altitudes, the atmosphere
becomes less dense and temperature decreases. The hills are therefore cooler during summers.
(iii) The pressure and wind system any area depend on the latitude and altitude of the place.
Thus it influences the temperature and rainfall pattern.
(iv) The sea exerts moderating influences 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.
(v) Ocean currents along with onshore winds affect the climate of the coastal areas.
(vi) Relief too plays a major role in determining the climate of a place. High mountains act as
barriers for cold or not winds; they may also cause precipitation if they are high enough and lie in
the path of rain-bearing winds. The leeward side of the mountains remains dry.

Factors Affecting India’s Climate

 Latitude: Indian is situated roughly between 8o N and 37o N latitudes. India is

divided into almost two equal parts by the tropic of cancer. The southern half lies in
the tropical zone and the western half in the subtropical zone. 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
6000 meters. 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: India lies in the subtropical high-pressure belt, thus, the winds
originate from the land and move outwards towards the equatorial low-pressure belt.
These winds are known as northeast trade winds and are devoid of any moisture. But
due to unequal heating of land and water in the summer, low pressure develops over the
 interior of land masses. This low pressure attracts the winds from south of the equator.
After crossing the equator the southeast trade winds get deflected and are known as
southwest monsoons. The climate of India is also affected by jet streams. This is a fast
flowing wind blowing in a narrow zone in the upper atmosphere. The jet streams are
responsible for the sudden outbreak of monsoons in Northern India. a subtropical
westerly jet stream brings in the western disturbances in winter. These disturbances
cause heavy snowfall on the mountains and light rains on the northwestern part of India.

The Indian Monsoon

The climate of India is strongly influenced by monsoon winds. the Arabs, who had come to India
as traders benefited from the reversal of the wind system as they came by sailing ships at the
mercy of winds, they named this seasonal reversal of the wind system „monsoon‟.
The monsoons are experienced in the tropical area roughly between 20o N

20o S. to understand the mechanism of the monsoons, the following facts are important.

i. The differential heating and cooling of land and water create low pressure on the landmass
of India while the seas around experience comparatively high pressure.
ii. The shift of the position of Inter Tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) in summer, over the
Ganga plain (this is the equatorial trough normally positioned about 5 o N of the equator –
also known as the monsoon-trough during the monsoon season).
3. The presence of the high-pressure area, east of Madagascar, approximately at 20o S over the
Indian Ocean. The intensity and position of this high-pressure area affect the Indian Monsoon.
i. The Tibetan plateau gets intensely heated during summer, which results in strong vertical air
currents and the formation of high pressure over. The plateau at about 9 km above sea-level.
ii. The movement of the westerly jet stream to the north of the Himalayas and the presence of
the tropical easterly jet stream over the Indian peninsula during summer.
iii. Changes in the pressure conditions over the southern oceans also affect the monsoons.
Normally when the tropical eastern South Pacific Ocean experiences high pressure, the tropical
eastern Indian Ocean experiences low pressure. The difference in pressure over Tahiti (the
Pacific Ocean, 18o S/149o W) and Darwin in northern Australia (the Indian Ocean, 12o 30‟S/
131oE) is computed to predict the intensity of the monsoons. if the pressure differences are
negative, it means below average and late monsoons.
The Onset Of The Monsoon And Withdrawal

 The Monsoon, unlike the trades, are not steady winds but are pulsating in nature, affected by
different atmospheric conditions encountered by it, on its way over the warm tropical seas. The
duration of the monsoon is between 100-120 days from early June to mid-September.
 The monsoon arrives at the southern tip of the Indian peninsula generally by the first week of
June. Subsequently, it divides into two – the Arabian Sea branch and the Bay of Bengal branch.
The Arabian Sea branch reaches Mumbai about ten days later on approximately the 10th of June.
 The Bay of Bengal branch arrives is Assam in the first week of June. The lofty mountains cause
the monsoon winds to deflect towards the west over the Ganga Plains. By mid-June, the Arabian
Sea branch of the monsoon arrives over Saurashtra-Kachchh and the central part of the country.
  The Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal branches of the monsoon merge over the northwestern
part of the Ganga plains. Delhi generally receives the monsoon showers from the Bay of Bengal
branch by the end of June. By the first week of July, western Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana and
eastern Rajasthan experience the monsoon. By mid-July, the monsoon reaches Himachal Pradesh
and the rest of the country. withdrawal or the retreat of the monsoon is a more gradual process.
 The withdrawal of the monsoon begins in northwestern states of India by early September. By
mid-October, it withdraws completely from the northern half of the peninsula. The withdrawal
from the southern half of the peninsula is fairly rapid. By early December, the monsoon has
withdrawn from the rest of the country.

The Seasons

Four main reasons can be identified in India –

1. Cold weather season -- December to February

2. Hot weather season -- March to May

3. Advancing monsoon season -- June to September

4. Retreating monsoon season -- October and November

(A) The Cold Weather Season (Winter):

1. The cold weather season begins from mid-November in India and stays till February.
2. December and January are the coldest months in the northern part of India. The temperature
decreases as one move from the south to the north.
3. Days are warm and the nights are cold. Frost is common in the north and the higher slopes of the
Himalayas experience snowfall.

4. The northeast trade winds prevail over the country. They blow from land to sea and hence, for the
most part of the country, it is a dry season.
5. In the northern part of the country, a feeble high-pressure region develops, with light
winds moving outwards from this area.
6. The weather is normally marked by clear sky, low temperatures, and low humidity and feeble
variable winds.
7. 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. Locally known as „mahawat‟ are of immense importance for the cultivation of „rabi‟
crops.
8. The northeast trade winds cause a fair amount of rainfall in Chennai or the Coromandel Cast in
winter.

(b) Hot weather season (Summer):

1. Due to the apparent movement of the sun, the global heat belt shifts northward. as such, from
March to May, it is not weather season in India.
2. Temperature increases from south to north. In peninsular India, temperatures remain
lower
 3. High temperature between 38o C and 48o C in the plains.
4. Local dust storms accompanied by light rains.
5. Hot dry winds, „loo‟is common in May and June.
6. Kerala and Karnataka coast receivers pre-monsoon showers. (Mango showers)
7. West Bengal and Assam are affected by northwesterly winds. (Kalbaisakhi).

(c) Advancing Monsoon (The Rainy Season):

The climate of India is described as of monsoon type. Derived from an Arabic word „mausim‟, monsoons
refer to the seasonal reversal in the wind direction through the year.
Mechanism of the Monsoon:

The word monsoon denotes a season in which the wind regime is completely reversed. The southeast winds, after crossing
the equator in the Indian Ocean, take a southwesterly direction. The dry and hot land bearing trades are thus completely
replaced by sea bearing winds full of moisture. This phenomenon of complete reversal of winds is confined to tropical lands

lying between 20
o N and 20o S. this phenomenon account for 75 to 90 percent of the annual rainfall just from June to
September

Characteristics of the Monsoon:

(i) Almost all over the country, the rains occur from June to September.

(ii) 75% to 90% of the total annual rainfall is concentrated over this period.

(iii) There is great variation in the advance and withdrawal dates of the monsoons.

(iv) The monsoons occur in wet spell, interspersed by dry spells.

(v) The amount of rainfall also varies, causing floods and drought conditions.

“Distribution of rainfall received from the southwest monsoons is governed mainly by the relief of the
country.”
(i) The windward side of the Western Ghats receives a rainfall of over 250 cm. On other hand, the leeward side of the
Western Ghats receives less than 50cm.

(ii) The heavy rainfall in the northeastern states can be attributed to the hill and mountain ranges.

(iii) Rainfall in the Northern Plains decreases westward.

“Monsoon has a tendency to have breaks in rainfall. Thus it has wet and dry spells”.

Breaks in monsoons are related to the frequency and intensity of tropical depressions. They are formed at the head of the
Bay of Bengal and cross over the mainland. The depressions follow the axis of the monsoon trough of the low pressure. 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 rains in the
mountainous catchment area of the Himalayan Rivers.

“Rainfall decreases from east to west in the Northern Plains while it increases in the Peninsular India”.

Pattern of Rainfall in the Northern Plains:

(i) The Northern Plains get much of their rainfall by Southwest Monsoons which strike the eastern part of the country first
and give heavy rainfall there. so eastern parts of the country like Assam, Meghalaya, Bengal etc. get much rainfall.

(ii) Then the monsoons arising from the Bay of Bengal move westwards along the Himalayas. their capacity to cause rain
become lesser and lesser as they move westward because they continue to become drier and drier.

Pattern of Rainfall in Peninsular India:

(i) The Peninsular India also gets much rainfall because of another branch of the South-West Monsoons which rises from the
Arabian Sea. These monsoon winds first of all strike the Western Ghats and cause mu8ch rain there.

(ii) These winds while reaching the other side of the Western Ghats become dry and cause less rain. As they go on moving to
the eastern side they become drier and drier and so the rain goes decreasing from west to east.

Mumbai receives rainfall in summer while Chennai has in Winter :

Mumbai receives more rainfall in summer as it is situated on the Arabian Sea coast, and receives all its rains from the Arabian
Sea branch of the southwest monsoons from June to September only. Chennai receives two-third of the rainfall from the
retreating southwest monsoons aided by cyclones on October to December.

Western Rajasthan has desert type of climate:

1. Western Rajasthan lies in the rain shadow areas of the Aravalli Mountains. (Leeward side).

2. Arabian sea branch of S.W. monsoons blows parallel to the Aravalli range; hence the Aravallis fail to check it.

3. By the time the Bay Bengal branch reaches here it is almost dry, moreover it lies on the leeward side of the Aravallis.

4. Monsoon winds become warmer and increase their capacity to hold moisture instead of causing rain.
(D) Retreating Monsoons:

During October-November, the monsoon trough of low pressure becomes weaker and is gradually replaced by high pressure.
The outreach of the monsoon becomes unsustainable and it starts withdrawing gradually. this is known as the retreat of
monsoon.

October Heat:

1. The retreat of the monsoons is marked by clear skies and rise in temperature.

2. The land is still moist.

3. Owing to the conditions of high temperature and humidity, the weather become oppressive, which is known as October
heat in northern India.

Cyclonic Depressions which originate over the Andaman Sea:

In October and November the shift of the low pressure from land to sea is far from smooth. the period is associated with
occurrence of cyclonic depressions which originate over the Andaman Sea.

The cyclones affect the eastern coasts of southern peninsular.

The cyclones affect the Sundarban Delta, Mahanadi, Godavari, Krishna and Kaveri deltas too.

These tropical cyclones cause heavy and widespread rain.

One adverse effect of the cyclones is, it is very often destructive. No year is found disaster free, it affects one or the other
deltas of the Eastern Coast.
Varieties The Monsoons In India

At times the monsoons come in full swing, or it may fail altogether. Thus, causing the twin problems of floods and famines.
The alternation of dry and wet spells keeps on varying in intensity, frequency and the in duration.
Implications of vagaries of the monsoons:

1. Due to the late arrival the crops dry up.

2. Due to excessive rains floods are caused, leading to destruction.
3. The amount of rain may vary causing drought conditions.
4. Sometimes the monsoons come early, normal or late.
5. The monsoons may retreat early, normal or late.

Distribution Of Precipitation In The Country

Areas of Heavy rainfall: Areas which get rainfall of 200 cms and above are Assam, the Ganga Delta, the Western Ghats and
the Western Coastal regions and the mountainous regions of Himachal Pradesh.

areas of Moderate Rainfall: Areas which get annual rainfall between 100 cms to 200 cms are Madhya Pradesh, Orissa, Chhota
Nagpur, Western Bengal, Bihar, Eastern U.P , North-Eastern Punjab; Eastern parts of Tamil Nadu and Eastern slopes of
Western Ghats receive moderate rainfall.

Areas with Low Rainfall: Areas receiving annual rainfall between 50 cms to 100 cms are the Deccan Plateau, Western U.P,
South-Eastern Punjab, Eastern Rajasthan and parts of Kashmir get low rainfall.

Areas with Scanty Rainfall: Areas which get less than 50 cms rainfall annually are western Rajasthan, Kutch, Southeastern
parts of Haryana, Northeastern Kashmir get scanty rainfall.
Consequences of the Uneven Precipitation in India :

(i) If there is too much rain in certain areas they cause floods and havoc all around. many grown up crops, villages, railway
lines are washed away resulting in great loss of men and money.

(ii) If there are not sufficient rains even then people are doomed because of drought and hunger. Many people begin to
starve and die of hunger. Standing crops dry away thereby bringing doom to the farmers.

Uneven distribution rainfall is due to:

(i) Relief / Orography

(ii) Wind direction
(iii) Location
(iv) Low pressure axis.

Relief / orography largely govern the distribution of rainfall. For instance, the windward side of the Western Ghats registers
a rainfall of 250cms. on the other hand, the leeward side of this ghat is hardly able to receive 50cms.

Again, the heavy rainfall in the northwestern states can be attributed to their hilly ranges and the eastern Himalayas.

Western Rajasthan gets scanty rain because the Arabian Sea branch of the monsoon blows parallel to the Aravallis.

Rainfall in the north decreases from east to west. Kolkata situated near the sea receive about 120 cm, Patna 102cm, Allahabad
91cm, and Delhi 56 cm.

Monsoon As A Unifying Bond

 (i) There is great diversity in the climatic conditions due to location, extent and relief features.

(ii) But these diversities are subdued by the monsoons, which prevails over the whole country.

(iii) This water scarcity is felt all over country.

(iv) Thus the arrival of the monsoon is most welcome; it changes the Indian landscape, gives impetus to agricultural
activities, the total life of the Indian people revolves around the monsoons, including festivals.

Important Points To Remember

1. Mango showers:

i. Mango showers are pre-monsoon showers.

ii. This phenomenon is observed in Kerala and coastal Kamataka.

iii. The mango showers help in the early ripening of, mangoes.

2. Kalbaisakhi:

Kalbaisakhi means the violent black clouds of the month of Baisakh. This is the name given to the north-westerly and
northerly winds in Bengal and Assam. These winds cause very heavy rains and distraction.

3. Chennai receives more rain in winter:

i. The northeast winds pick up moisture while crossing Bay of Bengal. these winds are onshore in the winter season.

ii. In the summer Chennai lies in the rain-shadow of the Western Ghats, moreover the winds are offshore, therefore
receives less rainfall.

4. Break or burst of the monsoon:

The sudden approach of the moisture laden winds is associated with violent thunder and lightening. This is known as “break”

or “burst” of the monsoons. The first „break‟ of monsoons on the south-west-coast of India is around 1
st June.

5. Southern Oscillation:

The pressure systems of Pacific and Indian Oceans are interrelated. When the pressure is high in the pacific, there is low
pressure in the Indian Ocean. The winds move from high pressure to low pressure and vice-versa. This causes shifting of
winds across the equator in different seasons. this is known as the southern oscillation.

6. EI Nino Southern Oscillations :

A feature connected with Southern Oscillation is the EI Nino, a warm ocean current that flows past the Peruvian Coast, in
place of the cold Peruvian current, every 2 to 5 years. the changes in pressure conditions are connected to the EI Nino, the
phenomenon is referred to as ENSO (EI Nino Southern Oscillations).
7. Mawsynram receives the highest rainfall in the world:
 Mawsynram is situated at the head of a funnel shaped valley in the Khasi hills.
Its unique topographical location together with wind direction is responsible for causing the heaviest rainfall in the
world.
8. The rainfall decreases from South to North :

The S.W. Monsoons originates from the Indian Ocean and divides into branches due to the shape of the Indian peninsular.
Trivandrum gets above 200 cm.
Whereas Delhi situated in the interior gets only about 50 cm.
The Arabian Sea branch strikes the Western Ghats and causes heavy rainfall.
Whereas another branch of the Arabian Sea monsoon blows parallel to the Aravallis. thus jodhpur gets less than 25cms of
rain.

9. The Western Ghats receive more rain from the southwest monsoons than the Eastern Ghats because:

b The Arabian Sea branch of the monsoon is on shore.

c These winds are forced to rise and cause heavy rains.

d By the time these winds reach the east coast, most of the moisture is lost.

e The winds are offshore, so they given less rain.

f Eastern Ghats lies on the leeward/rain-shadow area, hence it gets less rain.

10. Indian would have been an arid land or desert if there had been no phenomena of monsoons :

Indian receives 75 to 90% of the rainfall from the monsoons.

These monsoons winds occur due to the uneven heating of land and sea.
The mighty Himalayas check the two branches of southwest monsoons, the Arabian Sea branch and the Bay of Bengal
branch. These, cover the whole of India thus preventing it from becoming a desert.

Difference Between

(a) Equable climate & extreme climate:

Equable Climate Extreme Climate

1. The climate is moderate, that is 1. The climate is continental, that is

very hot in summer and very cold in
neither too hot in summer nor too winter.
cold in winter.
2. The annual and daily range of 2.The annual and daily range of
temperature is high.
temperature is low.

3. Those places situated near the sea 3. Places situated in the interior have
extreme climate e.g., Delhi.
coast enjoy equable climate e.g.,
Mumbai.
(b) Rainfall and precipitation:

Rainfall Precipitation

(i) It is only form of precipitation. (i) It is broader term, it includes rainfall, sleet,
snow and hail.
(ii) The water vapour condenses and (ii) The water vapour changes into different
changes into water and falls down as drops of forms such as rainfall, snow, sleet or hail.
rain.
(iii) It involves a simple process i.e. ascending (iii) It is a more complex process.
of air, colling and coming down as rain.

(iv) Delhi receives rainfall. (iv) Leh receives snowfall.

(c) South-West Monsoons and Retreating Monsoons:

South-West Monsoons Retreating Monsoons

(i) These winds blow from June to September. (i) These winds blow from October to November.

(ii) These are moisture laden winds. (ii) These winds originate from the land, hence are
dry.
(iii) About 75 to 90% of the annual rainfall occurs (iii) These cause rainfall over the south- eastern
during these months all over the country. coast when the winds pick up moisture from the Bay
of Bengal.
(iv) It is pleasant season of rains and greenery all (iv) Due to clear skies, high temperature and high
over the country. humidity, the weather is oppressive known as
„October heat‟.

(d) Loo and Cold wave:

Loo Cold wave
(i) It occurs in the hot weather season. (i) It occurs in the cold weather season.

(ii) The hot and dry winds blow in the after-noon and (ii) The western disturbances cause heavy snow fall in
may continue till mid Night the western Himalayas this causes lowering of
temperature on the plains.
o
(iii) the temperature falls by 55 C from the normal.
(iii) It raises the day temperature. The
temperature ranges between 40o C to50oC

(e) South-West Monsoons and North-East Monsoons:

South-West Monsoons North-East Monsoons
(i) These are seasonal winds. (i) These are trade winds.

(ii) Blow during summer, June to September. (ii) Blow in winter, December to February.

(iii) Blow from sea to land. (iii) Blow from land to sea.

(iv) Bulk to the annual rainfall received in (iv) These are dry winds, while crossing the Bay of
India is brought by these winds. Bengal they pick up moisture and give rainfall to the
Coromandel Coast/Tamil Nadu coast.

(v) High temperature and low pressure. (v) Low temperature and high pressure.

(vi) High humidity. (vi) Low humidity.