CLIMATOLOGY OF INDIA

• MONSOON CIRCULATION DOMINATION.

• SIX MONTHS WINDS BLOW FROM
COOLER HUMID OCEANS TO DRY LAND.
• OTHER SIX MONTHS REVERSAL WINDS
BLOW FROM DRY ASIAN LAND MASS TO
WARM INDIAN OCEAN
 SEASONS OF INDIA
• TWO MAIN SEASONS.
– SUMMER SOUTHWEST MONSOON
– WINTER NORTHEAST MONSOON

• THE TRANSITION BETWEEN

THE TWO ARE INTERMIDIATE
SEASONS.
– PRE MONSOON SEASON
– POST MONSOON SEASON
 SEASONS BASED ON
TEMPERATURE AND RAINFALL
• COLD SEASON. NE MONSOON
SEASON FROM DEC TO MAR.
• HOT SEASON. PREMONSOON
SEASON FROM APR TO MAY.
• WET SEASON. SOUTHWEST
MONSOON FROM JUN TO SEP.
• COOL SEASON. POST MONSOON
SEASON FROM OCT TO NOV.
 WINTER SEASON
•COLD SEASON.
•DEC TO MAR.
•COLDEST PORTION OF THE YEAR.
•SUBSIDING ANTICYCLONIC AIR
PREVAILS MOSTLY OVER THE ENTIRE
COUNTRY.
•WEATEHR CLEAR.
•CORE OF WESTERLY STJ SHIFTS WELL.
SOUTH OF HIMALAYAS. FURTHEST
DOWN SOUTH POSITION TO 22° N IN FEB.
PRESSURE PATTERN:
WINTER SEASON
PR DISTRIBUTION
JANUARY
 UPPER WINDS : WINTER SEASON
UPPER WINDS
900 mb WINTER 700 mb
SEASON

500 mb
300 mb
 WEATHER
• MOSTLY COLD DRY NORTHERLIES OR
NORTHEASTERLIES, DUE TO COOLING OF ASIAN PLAIN,
OVER THE COUNTRY EXCEPT SOUTH EAST INDIA.
• CLEAR SKIES FINE WEATHER LOW HUMIDITY & LOW
TEMPERATURES.
• FINE SPELL BROKEN BY PASSAGE OF WESTERN
DISTURBANCES FREQUENCY 5-6 PER MONTH.
• MAX FREQUENCY AND SOUTHMOST POSITION OF WDs
IN JAN & FEB. MOSTLY IN OCCLUDED STAGE.
• FALL IN PR AND RISE IN TEMP INDICATES APP OF WARM
FRONT.
• CLOUDS LOWER TO AS & ST WITH RAIN AND DRIZZLE
WITH DEPRESSION OVER STATION.
• CHANGE OF WIND DIRN, CUMULIFORM CLOUDS,
THUNDERSHOWERS, RISE IN PR AND FALL OF
TEMPERATURE SIGNIFY PASSAGE OF COLD
FRONT.
• AFTER PASSAGE OF WDs, STRONG, DRY & COLD
NORTHEASTERLIES OR NORTH WESTERLIES SET
IN.
• DUE HIGH HUMIDITY IN THE WAKE OF WDs
RADIATION FOG FORMS AND WHILE LIFTING OF
IT STRATUS CLOUDS FORM.
• COLD WAVE LASTS ABOUT 2 TO 3 DAYS.
• IN SOUTH, TROUGH EXTENDS FROM KERALA TO
GUJARAT AT TIMES TO RAJASTHAN WHEN
ACCENTUATED.
• A CUT OFF LOW FORMS AND MOVES IN
EASTERLY DIRECTION CAUSING RAIN IN
CENTRAL INDIA & SOUTH UP.
• IN SOUTH EAST PENINSULA, NORTH
EASTERLIES ACQUIRE MOISTURE OVER
BAY OF BENGAL & GIVE A FEW THUNDER
STORMS.
• SOMETIMES A CYCLONIC STORM MOVING
WESTWARDS CAUSES HEAVY RAIN IN
EXTREME SOUTHEAST TAMILNADU.
 AVIATION WEATHER HAZARDS
• VISIBILITY.
– RADIATION FOG. CONDITIONS FAVOURABLE AFTER PASSAGE
OF WDs.
– MOST SUSCEPTIBLE AREAS ARE NORTHWEST INDIA, UP, BIHAR,
NORTH BENGAL & ASSAM.
– ADVECTION FOG IN SUNDERBANS, COASTAL BELTS AND
BRAHMAPUTRA VALLEY.
– MIST OR HAZE IS COMON IN NORTH AND CENTRAL INDIA.
• ICING
– FREEZING LEVELS LOWEST. IN NORTH BETWEEN 2 KM TO 4 KM
& IN SOUTH ABOUT 5 KM AMSL. ICING AT LOWER LEVELS.
• STJ.
– CORE AT AROUND 25° NORTH BETWEEN 200 TO 300 hPa.
– AV SPEEDS 80 Kts. WHEN PRONOUNCED SPEEDS 150 TO 200 Kts
 PREMONSOON SEASON
• HOT SEASON, TRANSITIONAL SEASON.
• APR TO MAY.
• EXTREME HOT TEMPERATURES OVER NORTH INDIA AND
WIDESPREAD DUST HAZE.
• DUST STORMS OVER WEST INDIA AND THUNDER
SQUALLS ( KALBAISAKHIS) OVER EASTERN INDIA.
• TRACKS OF WDs MOVE NORTHWARDS WITH PROGRESS
OF THE SEASON.
• LAND AND SEA BREZE IS PROMINENT OVER COASTAL
AREAS.
• THUNDERSHOWERS IN SOUTH INCREASE WITH
PROGRESS OF THE SEASON
• A FEW TROPICAL CYCLONES FORM IN NDIAN SEAS &
MOVE NORTH OR NORTHEAST TO BENGAL BANGLA &
BURMA.
• WESTERLY STJ WEAKENS AND MOVE NORTH OF
HIMALAYAS BY END OF THE SEASON.
 PRESSURE DISTRIBUTION
• WINTER PATTERN REPLACED BY SUMMER PATTERN.
• SUN CROSSES EQUATOR NORTHWARDS INDIAN
LANDMASS GETS PROGRESSIVELY HEATED.
• PERIOD OF CONTINUOUS RISE OF TEMP AND DECREASE
OF PRESSURE IN NORTH AND INTENSIFICATION OF
SOUTHERN ANTICYCLONE.
• PRESSURE PATTERN OVER THE COUNTRY DIFFUSED PR
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN EXTREME NORTH AND SOUTH IS
2 TO 3 hPa ONLY.
• WINDS LIGHT AND VARIABLE.
• A FEW TROPICAL CYCLONES FORM IN INDIAN SEAS.
• A TROUGH OF LOW COVERS ALMOST ENTIRE CENTRAL
REGION OF THE SUBCONTINENT.
• RELATIVELY HIGH PRESSURE OVER ARABIAN SEAS AND
BAY OF BENGAL.
 WEATHER
• RAINFALL IN EAST INDIA. 5 TO 25 CM OF RAIN.
• WEATHER MOSTLY CONVECTIONAL TYPE.
• LARGE SCALE THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY.
• DUST STORMS IN PUNJAB J&K HARYANA RAJASTHAN
UP & NORTH MP IN CASE OF NO HUMIDITY.
• VIOLENT LOCAL THUNDER SQUALLS OVER BENGAL
ASSAM ORISSA & BIHAR (NORWESTERS).
• TROPICAL CYCLONES IN ARABIAN SEA MOVE WEST
WARDS NOT AFFECTING INDIA.
• MAY RECURVE AND HIT MAHARASHTRA GUJARATH.
• TROPICAL STORMS IN BAY OF BENGAL BETWEEN LAT
10° TO 15° NORTH AND MOVE NORTH OF NORTHEAST
AND STRIKE BENGAL BANGLADESH AND BURMA
• SOME MOVE NORTHWESTWARDS AND CROSS
TAMILNADU COAST WEAKEN OR MAY CROSS OVER TO
ARABIAN SEA AND REVIVE.
 AVIATION WEATHER HAZARDS
• THUNDERSTORMS.
– VIOLENT CONVECTIONAL TYPE DUE TO INTENSE INSOLATION &
INFLUX OF MOISTURE.
– LOCAL AND SHORT LIVED. OCCUR IN LATER PART OF THE DAY
OR EARLY EVENINGS.
– NORWESTERS MOST DESTRUCTIVE. FROM MID MARCH TO JUNE
IN AFTERNOONS OR EVENINGS.
– AREAS OF FORMATION ARE CHHOTA NAGPUR HILLS AND
MOUNTAIN DISTRICTS OF NORTH BENGAL.
– IN PENINSULA THUNDERSTORM FREQUENCY INCREASES IN
KERALA AS SEASON PROGRESSES.
• DUST HAZE.
– PUNJAB RAJASTHAN JAMMU HARYANA NORTH MP & UP
– VIS 2 Km OR LESS FOR DAYS ALTOGETHER. VISIBILITY LESS
THAN A FEW HUNDRED METRES IN DUST FOG.
– VERTICAL EXTENT OF DUST 3 TO 5 Km AT TIMES 7 TO 8 Km.
• DUST RAISING WINDS.
– STRONG SURFACE WINDS 30 Kts GUSTING TO 40 TO 50 Kts.
– CONFINED MOSTLY TO DAY TIME BETWEEN 0900 TO 1700 hrs.
– VISIBILITY REDUCED TO A FEW HUNDRED METRES IN BLOWING
DUST.
– IN CASE OF STRONG PRESSURE GRADIENT DUST RAISING
WINDS CONTINUE EVEN AT NIGHT.
• DUST STORMS.
– ANDHIS OF NORTH INDIA.
– DUST SCOOPED UP BY THE SQUALL FROM THE THUNDER
STORMS.
– THE SQUALL SPEEDS 50 TO 60 Kts OCCASSIONALLY 70 TO 80
Kts.
– NO MOISTURE SO NO RAIN OR VERY LITTLE RAIN. ONLY
DOWNDRAUGHTS WITHOUT MUCH PRECIPITATION. VISIBILITY
ONLY A FEW METRES.
– CU AND CB PREREQUISITES FOR SUCH DUSTSTORMS.
– OVER PUNJAB, RAJASTHAN, JAMMU, HARYANA, NORTH MP, UP
AND AT TIMES BIHAR & BENGAL.
 SOUTHWEST MONSOON
•WET SEASON.
•JUNE TO SEPTEMBER.
•COUNTRY (OUTSIDE WESTERN & EASTERN HIMALAYAS
AND SOUTHWEST PENINSULA TIP) RECIEVES 75% OF
RAINFALL DURING THIS SEASON.
•SETS IN AT HE EXTREME SOUTHWEST TIP OF THE
PENINSULA BY END OF MAY.
•WESTERLY STJ SHIFTS NORTH OF HIMALAYAS AND
TROPICAL EASTERLY JET SETS IN OVER THE PENINSULA.
•MAIN CHARACTERISTICS ARE MODERATE TO HEAVY
RAINS VERY LOW CLOUDS HIGH HUMIDITY AND SULTRY
WEATHER.
 PRESSURE
DISTRIBUTION
•PRESSURE GRADIENT AND WIND FLOW SHOWS A COMPLETE
REVERSAL AS COMPARED TO THE WINTER.
•INTENSE LOW PRESSURE OVER THE NORTHWESTENS PART OF THE
COUNTRY AND ADJOINING AFGHANISTAN SPREADING EASTWARD AS
AN EXTENSIVE TROUGH UPTO THE NORTHWEST BAY OF BENGAL
COVERING THE ENTIRE INDOGANGETIC PLAIN.
•THE PRESSURE GRADUALLY INCREASES TO INDIAN OCEAN.
•HIGH PRESSURE AREA TO THE SOUTH.
•TROUGH OF LOW PRESSURE AREA IS KNOWN AS MONSOON
TROUGH.
•THIS TROUGH GETS MODIFIES WHEN DEPRESSIONS FORM IN
NORTHWEST BAY. THESE DEPRESSIONS MOVE WEST OR NORTHWEST
WARD ALONG THE AXIS OF TROUGH UPTO RAJASTHAN WEAKEN AND
MERGE INTO SEASONAL LOW.
 WEATHER
• MONSOON CURRENT SETS IN BY MIDDLE OF MAY IN
ANDAMANS.
• BEGINNING OF JUN EXTENDS NORTHWARDS AS TWO
DISTINCT CURRENTS:
– ARABIAN SEA BRANCH.
– BAY OF BENGAL BRANCH.
• IN NEXT TWO WEEKS THE MONSOON CURRENTS
COVERS THE ENTIRE COUNTRY EXCEPT THE
NORTHWEST INDIA.
• BY MIDDLE OF JULY THE ENTIRE SUBCONTINENT IS
UNDER THE EFFECT OF MONSOON.
• MORE OR LESS GENERAL RAIN THOUGH OUT THE
COUNTRY.
• ARABIAN SEA BRANCH GIVES SOME RAIN IN GUJARAT
AND WEST RAJASTHAN.
• BAY OF BENGAL BRANCH CAUSES HEAVY RAINS IN
BURMA & EASTERN HIMALAYAS.
• FROM BENGAL THIS BRANCH IS DEFLECTED
WESTWARDS AS EASTERLIES PARALLEL TO
HIMALAYAS.
• THE WESTERLY ARABIAN SEA BRANCH AND EASTERLY
BAY OF BENGAL BRANCH MEET ALONG THE MONSOO
TROUGH GIVING MODERATE TO HEAVY RAINS.
• THE AXIS AT WHICH THE ARABIAN SEA CURRENT AND
MODIFIED BAY MONSOON AIR MEETS IS KNOWN AS THE
MONSOONFRONT. THE ORIENTATION OF THIS DECIDES
RAINFALL IN THE INDO GANGETIC PLAIN.
• DEPRESSIONS IN BAY MOVE WESTWARDS ALONG
TROUGH OF LOW GIVING WIDESPREAD AND HEAVY
RAINS. RAINFALL HEAVIEST IN THE SOUTHWESTERN
SECTOR OF THE DEPRESSION.
• MONSOONFRONT AT THE FOOTHILLS INCREASES RAIN
OVER HILLS AND REDUCTION IN PLAINS. THIS IS BREAK
MONSOON.
 AVIATION WEATHER HAZARDS
• LOW CLOUDS. 150 TO 200 M AGL IN MODERATE
CONDITIONS. IN DEPRESSION 30 TO 60 M AGL
• STRONG SURFACE WINDS. NORMAL MONSOON
CONDITIONS 25 TO 30 Kts DEPRESSIONS 40 TO
50 Kts.
• VISIBILITY. VISIBILITY IS GENERALLY GOOD.
DROPS TO A FEW HUNDRED METRES IN HEAVY
RAINS.
• EASTERLY TROPICAL JET STREAM. LIES
BETWEEN 10° TO 15° NORTH LATITUDE. CORE
BETWEEN 150 TO 100 hPa. AVERAGE CORE
SPEEDS 60 TO 70 Kts OCCASSIONALLY 100 TO
120 Kts.
 POSTMONSOON SEASON
• COOL SEASON. TRANSITIONAL SEASON.
• OCT TO NOV.
• TEMPERATURES START DECREASING, BY
OCT COOL IN MOST PALCES.NIGHTS ARE
COOL AND PLEASANT.
• ZONAL WESTERLIES SHIFT SOUTH OF
HIMALAYAS. WDs’ TRACKS SHIFT SOUTH.
• STJ APPEARS OVER EXTREME NORTH.
• TROPICAL EASTERLY JET DISAPPEARS
FROM OVER THE PENINSULA.
• TAMILNADU GETS MAX RAIN IN THIS
SEASON.
 PRESSURE DISTRIBUTION
• PATTERN IS DIFFUSED AND ILL DEFINED.
• SUMMER PATTERN OF PRESSURE AND WINDS
UNDERGO MODIFICATIONS PRIOR TO CHANGE
OVER TO WINTER PATTERN.
• TRACKS OF MIDLATITUDE DEPRESSIONS SHIFT
SOUTHWARDS WITH PROGRESS OF THE
SEASON. START AFFECTING INDIA.
• IN SOUTH OCTOBER IS THE MONTH OF MAXIMUM
FREQUENCY OF CYCLONIC STORMS IN BAY OF
BENGAL.
• IN NOV SEVER CYCLONIC STORMS FORM AND
HIT TAMILNADU COAST. MOVE NORTH OR
NORTHEAST WARDS STRIKING BENGAL BANGLA
OR BURMA. A FEW MAY CROSS OVER AND
REVIVE IN ARABIAN SEA AND AFTER RECURVING
HIT MAHARASHTRA & GUJARATH.
 WEATHER
• WITH RETREAT OF MONSOON COLD DRY CONTINENTAL
AIR SETS IN OVER NORTH- WEST INDIA.
• CLEAR WEATHER & GOOD VISIBILITY.
• WITH ADVANCE OF SEASON, DAWN AND DUSK MIST OR
HAZE IS EXPERIENCED.
• WDs START AFFECTING EXTREME NORTH (1 TO 2 PER
MONTH) CAUSING CLOUDING & PPTN IN KASHMIR AND
PUNJAB. SNOWFALL IN GREAT HIMALAYAS IN OCT.
• IN NORTHEAST INDIA WEATHER GENERALLY
IMPROVES. BUT IN CASE OF CYCLONIC STORM IN
BENGAL OR BANGLADESH INCURSION OF MOISTURE
CAUSES CLOUDING AND WEATHER.
• BAY STORMS CROSS EITHER TN OR MOVE NORTHEAST
SKIRTING ORISSA WEATHER OF ENTIRE COASTAL
BELT OF PENINSULA GETS AFFECTED. GIVING
EXTENSIVE CLOUDING WITH VERY LOW CLOUDS
HEAVY RAIN AND THUNDERSQUALLS.
 AVIATION WEATHER HAZARDS
• LOW VISIBILITY. DUE TO STRATIFIED SMOKE
NEAR TOWNS AND INHABITED PALCES AT
DAWN AND DUSK.
• TROPICAL STORMS. SEVERE CYCLONIC
STORMS DEVELOP IN THE BAY OF BENGAL AND
IN ARABIAN SEA IN THE LATITUDE BELT OF 10
TO 15° N AND AFFECT THE ENTIRE REGION.
• SUBTROPICAL JET STREAM. MEAN POSITION
OF WESTERLY STJ STARTS SHIFTING SOUTH
AND MAY BE LOCATED BETWEEN 30 TO 35° N
NEAR ABOUT 200hPa LEVEL. AVERAGE SPEEDS
60 TO 70 Kts MAX SPEEDS 100 TO 150 Kts.