Climate

What is Climate?
► Climate is the characteristic condition of the
atmosphere near the earth's surface at a certain place
on earth.
► It refers to the sum total of weather conditions and
variation over a large area for a long period of time. It is
the long-term weather of that area which remains at
least 30 years
 What is Weather?
► Weather refers to the state of atmosphere over
an area at any point of time.
► The elements of both weather and climate are
same.
► It is the combination of temperature, humidity,
precipitation, wind, cloudiness and other
atmospheric conditions at a specific time.
 What is Monsoon?
► 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.
► The World is divided into a number of Climatic Regions.
► The Climate of India is described as the ‘monsoon’ type.
► This type of climate is found in South and Southeast Asia.
► But, there are perceptible regional variations in climatic conditions within the
country.
► Two important elements viz., temperature and precipitation, often vary from
place to place and season to season
 Difference in Temperature
► In summer, the temperature in parts of Rajasthan Desert is 50°C,
and it is around 20°C in Pahalgam in J & K.
► On a winter night, temperature at Drass in J & K may less than -45°
C, and at Thiruvananthapuram it may be of 22°C.
► In some places temperature between day and night temperature
differs.
► In the Thar Desert, it rise to 50°C, in day and drop down to near 15°
C in night.
► But in the Andaman and Nicobar islands or in Kerala, there is no
much difference in day and night temperatures
 What is Precipitation?
► Precipitation varies in its form, types and amount and seasonal distribution.
► It is in the form of snowfall in the upper parts of Himalayas, it rains over the
rest of the country.
► The annual precipitation varies from 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 Tamil Nadu coast gets rain during October and November. Rainfall
generally decrease from east to west in the Northern Plains.
► These variations have given rise to variety in lives of people, their food,
clothes and houses.
 Latitude

Relief
Altitude
Features

Climatic
Controls

Pressure
Ocean
&
Currents
Wind System

Distance
from the sea
 Latitude
Latitude is the distance a
place lies north or south of
the equator and is
measured by an
imaginary line called lines
of latitude.
► As latitude increases, the intensity of solar energy decreases.
► Due to curvature of the Earth, the amount of solar energy varies
according to latitude.
► In India, the Tropic of Cancer passes through the middle of the
country from the Rann of Kutch 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
Altitude is the
height of an area,
measured from
sea level.
 Pressure & 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
► 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.
Reliefs
Reliefs
 FACTORS AFFECTING INDIA’S CLIMATE
Latitude
► The Tropic of Cancer passes through the middle of the country
from the Rann of Kutch 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
► Altitude is a distance measurement in vertical or up direction.
► As we go up from surface of earth to higher altitude, the
atmosphere becomes less dense and temperature decreases.
► India has mountains to the north, which have an average
height of about 6,000 meters. 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.
 The Pressure and Surface
► Winds
The pressure and wind system of any area depend on the latitude and
altitude of the place. It influences the temperature and rainfall pattern. The
climate and weather conditions in India are governed by the atmospheric
conditions like:
• Pressure and surface winds;
• Upper air circulation;
• Western cyclonic disturbances and tropical cyclones.
India lies in the north easterly winds region. These winds originate from the
subtropical high-pressure belt of the northern hemisphere. They blow south, get
deflected to the right due to the Coriolis force and move towards equatorial
low-pressure area. Carries very less moisture.
The Pressure and Surface Winds in India

• The pressure and wind conditions in

India is unique.
• During winter, there is a
high-pressure in the north of the
Himalayas.
• Cold dry winds blow from this region
to the low-pressure areas over the
oceans to the south.
The Pressure and
Surface Winds in
India

• In summer, a low-pressure area develops over interior Asia and in

north-western India.
• This causes a complete reversal of the direction of winds during
summer.
The Pressure and
Surface Winds in
India

• 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 Cold
Weather
Season
(Winter)

The Hot
Retreating Types of Weather
Monsoon Season
Seasons (Summer)

Advancing
Monsoon
(Rainy
Season)
 The four main seasons
► The monsoon type of climate is characterized 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.

How many seasons are experienced in your place?

► 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
► 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.
 The Cold Weather Season
► In the northern plains, there is the
inflow of cyclonic disturbances
from the west and the northwest.
These low- pressure systems, from
the Mediterranean Sea and
western Asia and move into
India, along with the westerly
flow. They cause the winter rains
(locally known as ‘mahawat’)
over the plains and snowfall in
the mountains. Although the
amount of rainfall is small, it is
more important for cultivating
the ‘rabi’ crops(Wheat, Barley,
Mustard.
 The Cold Weather Season

► But, the peninsular region does not have a well-defined cold

season. There is rare 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 northward. So, from
March to May, it is hot weather
season in India.
► In March, the highest temperature
is about 38°C, in Deccan plateau.
In April, temperatures in Gujarat
and Madhya Pradesh are around
42°C. In May, 45°C temperature is
common in the north-western parts
of the country. In peninsular India,
temperatures remain lower due to
the moderating influence of the
oceans.
 The Hot Weather Season [Summer]

► The summer months experience rising temperature and falling air pressure in
the northern part of the country. By 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.
 Features of Hot Weather Season
► 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
localized thunderstorms, associated with
violent winds, torrential downpours, often
accompanied by hail. In West Bengal, these
storms are known as the ‘Kaal Baisakhi’.
 Features of Hot Weather Season

► By the close of 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’.
 The Indian Monsoon
► The climate of India is strongly influenced by monsoon
winds. The sailors who came to India in historic times were
one of the first to have noticed the phenomenon of the
monsoon. They benefited from the reversal of the wind
system as they came by sailing ships at the mercy of
winds. The Arabs, who had also come to India as traders
named this seasonal reversal of the wind system
‘monsoon’.
 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.
 Advancing Monsoon
(The Rainy Season)
► The South-west monsoon entirely changes the weather in India . 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.
 Breaks in Rainfall
► 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. The trough and its
axis keep on moving northward or southward, which determines the
spatial distribution of rainfall. Whenever the axis shifts closer to the
Himalayas, widespread rain occur in the mountainous catchment
areas of the Himalayan rivers, which also cause floods.

► The frequency and intensity of tropical depressions determine the

amount and duration of monsoon rains. These depressions form at
the Bay of Bengal and cross over to the mainland. The depressions
follow the axis of the “monsoon trough of low pressure”. It causes
heavy floods in one part, and droughts in the other. Sometimes it
disturbs the farming schedule of millions of farmers all over the
country.
 End of the Monsoon
► Withdrawal or the retreat of the monsoon is a more gradual
process. The withdrawal of the monsoon begins in north-western
states of India by early October.

► By mid-October, it withdraws completely from the northern half

of the peninsula. Then it quickly withdraw from the southern half
of the peninsula.

► By early December, the monsoon has totally withdrawn from the

country.
 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 when compared to other areas on
the same latitudes.
► Similarly, the peninsular plateau, under the influence of the sea
from three sides, has moderate temperatures.
► 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. 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.