Chapter 4 Climate

Climate: Sum total of the weathers state and variation over an area for a period of more than thirty years. Weather: Status of the atmosphere in an area at any point of time. Elements of Weather and Climate: Temperature, wind, humidity, atmospheric pressure and precipitation. Climate of India: Monsoon Climatic Controls Six Major Controls of Climate Latitude Altitude Pressure and wind system Distance from the sea Oceanic currents Relief features Solar energy received by the Earth varies according to the latitude owing to the earths curvature. Thus, temperature decreases from the equator to the poles. The density of the atmosphere decreases with increasing altitudes resulting in a drop in temperature. Pressure and wind system of an area is dependent on the latitude and altitude of that place, thus affecting the rainfall and temperature pattern. Distance from the sea directly affects the weather conditions of a place. More the distance, more extreme the weather conditions become. The Oceanic currents and onshore winds affect the climate in the coastal areas. Factors Affecting Indias Climate Latitude: The Tropic of Cancer passes through the middle of India from the Rann of Kuchchh (West) to Mizoram (East). Hence, regions South of the Tropic of Cancer experiences tropical climate and those towards its North experiences subtropical climate. Altitude

 The mountains in the north have an average height of 6000 metres that prevents the cold winds from Central Asia from entering India, thus giving the country milder winters. Pressure and Winds In winters, a high pressure area gets created towards the North of the Himalayas. Low pressure zones over oceans in the south receive cold and dry winds from the high pressure area in the Himalayas. In summers, low pressure areas form above interior and Northwestern areas of India. Due to this, the reversal of the direction of winds during summers helps the wind to move from the high pressure areas over the Indian Ocean towards the low pressure areas. These are called the South West monsoon winds. South West monsoon winds blowing over warm oceans collect moisture and bring abundant rainfall to the Indian subcontinent. Indian Monsoon Factors that affects the mechanism of Indian Monsoon: Differential heating and cooling of land and water leads to the creation of low pressure on land while the sea experiences high pressure. Shifting of Inter Tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) over the Ganga plain during summers. The position and concentration of the high-pressure area towards the east of Madagascar affects the Indian Monsoon. The heating up of the Tibetan plateau in summers leads to the creation of low pressure above the plateau. The shifting of the westerly jet stream towards North of the Himalayas and the presence of tropical easterly jet stream in the Indian peninsula during summer. Onset of Monsoon and Withdrawal Duration of monsoon: 100-120 days (June- September) Branches of monsoons: the Arabian Sea branch and the Bay of Bengal branch. The Arabian Sea branch arrives in Mumbai roughly around 10 th June and the Bay of Bengal branch arrives in Assam around the first week of June. The lofty mountains divert the monsoon winds towards the West over the Ganga plains. Then it reaches Saurashtra-Kuchchh and central India during mid-June. Delhi receives showers from the Bay of Bengal branch roughly by 29th June and Punjab, Haryana, Eastern Rajasthan and Western Uttar Pradesh receive the monsoons by the first week of July.

 Withdrawal of the monsoons begins in Northwest India by early September and by mid-October it retreats completely from the Northern parts. By December, the monsoons retreat completely from the rest of India. The Seasons The Cold Weather Season (Winter) Begins from mid-November and stays till February in northern India. Coldest months are December and January. Temperature: 10-15 degree Celsius. The Himalayan slopes experience snowfall. The Northern Plains experience cyclonic disturbances brought in from West and the Northwest directions. They begin in the Mediterranean Sea and West Asia and proceeds towards India. They cause rains in the plains and snowfall in the mountains. The Hot Weather Season (Summer) March to May is the hot weather season in India. Temperatures upto 48 degree Celsius are experienced in North India. However, Peninsular India experiences lower temperatures because of the influence of the ocean. A prominent trait of the summer season is the loo. They are strong, hot and dry wind that blows during the day in North and Northwestern regions. May prove fatal if exposed directly to it. During May, dust storms are common in North India and they at times are of great relief, as they help in reducing the temperature and bringing light showers. Towards the end of this season, Kerala and Karnataka receive pre-monsoon showers, often called mango showers as it helps in the early ripening of mangoes. Advancing Monsoons (Rainy Season) A complete change in weather is experienced after the inflow of the Southwest monsoons into India. The windward side of the Western Ghats receives more than 250 cm of heavy rainfall. The highest average rainfall in the world is received by Mawsynram, lying in the Southern range of the Khasi Hills in Meghalaya. Gujarat and Rajasthan receive scanty rainfall.

 The monsoon rains occur in intervals. The dry and wet spells of the monsoons vary in strength, frequency and duration causing floods and droughts at the same time in different regions. As the monsoons are often irregular, they can cause damage to the agricultural crops. Retreating/Post Monsoons (The Transition Season) From October to November, the movement of the sun towards South causes the monsoon trough in the Northern Plains to become weaker. The Southwest monsoon winds become weak and by October they withdraw completely from the Northern Plains. The transition from the warm rainy season to dry winters happens in October and November. It is commonly called October Heat because of the rise in temperature and humidity. Cyclonic depressions occur over the Andaman Sea due to the shifting of lowpressure conditions from the Northwest to the Bay of Bengal. The cyclones are destructive and cause damage to life and property. Distribution of Rainfall The Western coast and Northeast India receives approximately 400cm of rainfall annually. Western Rajasthan, Gujarat, Haryana and Punjab receive 60cm rainfall annually. Due to the trend of the monsoons, the system of rainfall is often different from year to year. While some areas get affected by floods due to heavy rainfall, other areas may experience droughts due to the lack of it. Monsoon as a Unifying Bond Uncertain rainfalls and unevenness are the characteristics of the Indian monsoons. People in the North, East, West and South keenly wait for the monsoons for starting their agricultural activities.

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