CLIMATE OF INDIA

CLIMAT
E
 India has varied climatic conditions.

 Very hot and very cold regions as well as regions with

very heavy rainfall and very scanty rainfall. A large part of
south Asia has tropical monsoon climate.

 The climate has been influenced by its position, size

and relief features as well as on air, pressure and wind
condition.
 FACTORS AFFECTING CLIMATE OF INDIA

RELATED TO LOCATION RELATED TO AIR

& RELIEF PRESSURE & WIND

•Role of Himalaya. •Prevailing wind

•Influence of the seas •Upper air circulation
•Latitudinal position
•Western cyclones
•Altitude.
•Relief features
THE HIMALAYAS- CLIMATIC BARRIER

FACTORS
RELATED TO LOCATION
& RELIEF
•The Himalayan Mt.
 DISTANCE FROM SEA

FACTORS
RELATED TO LOCATION SIMLA
& RELIEF

•The Himalayan Mt.

DELHI
•Distance
from Sea
KOLKOTA
MUMBAI

CHENNAI

Coastal areas have equable climate where as

Interior parts have extreme climate.
 FACTORS
LATITUDE RELATED TO LOCATION
& RELIEF

•The Himalayan Mt.

•Distance
High from Sea
range of
Temp

High
Temp
Low
•Latitude
range
EQUATORIAL REGION
ALTITUDE FACTORS
RELATED TO LOCATION
& RELIEF
Temperature decreased
•The Himalayan Mt.
from low to high
altitude • Distance from
HIGH ALTITUDE
Sea
•Latitude
AGRA DARJILING Altitude
160C in Jan
40C in January

LOW ALTITUDE
RELIEF FACTORS
RELATED TO LOCATION
& RELIEF

•The Himalayan
Mt.
• Distance from
Sea
•Latitude

Altitude
Receives high •Relief
rainfall

Receives low
rainfall
 SURFACE WIND

POLAR HIGH
FACTORS AIR,
PRESSURE & SUB TROPICAL LOW PRESSURE NORTH-EAST
TRADE
WIND WIND
SUB TROPICAL HIGH PRESSURE

Prevailing wind INTER TROPICAL CONVERGENCE ZONE

Upper air
SUB TROPICAL HIGH PRESSURE
SOUTH-EAST
TRADE
circulation WIND
SUB TROPICAL LOW PRESSURE
Western cyclones
POLAR HIGH
 CLIMATE OF INDIA
 Features of Indian
climate
 Monsoon winds are the
main factors that
determine the climate of
this region. They also
influence a large part of
India.
 Seasons
 The Climate of India may be
divided into four seasons-
1)Winter - From December to
February
2) Summer - From March to
May
3) South-West monsoons or
rainy season - June to
September
4) Retreating monsoons -
October and November

 Rainfall
COLD WEATHER SEASON

► It extends from
December to February.
► Vertical rays shift
sun towards
southern
► North
hemisphere.
India experiences
intense cold where as
this season is not well
defined in south India.
► Light wind blow makes
this season pleasant in
Tropical Cyclone
south India.
► Occasional tropical
cyclone visit eastern
coast in this season.
HOT WEATHER SEASON

► It extends from March

to May.
► Vertical sun rays shift
towards Northern
hemisphere.
► Temperature rises May 480C
gradually from
to north. south April 380C
► Highest Temperature
experiences
in Karnataka in
March 300C
March, Madhya
Pradesh in April and
Rajastan in May.
STORMS IN HOT WEATHER SEASON

BARDOLI
CHHEERHA

LOO

KALBAISAKHI
MANGO
SHOWER

BLOSSOM
SHOWER
SOUTH WEST MONSOON SEASON

► It extends from June to

September.
► Intense heating in north
west India creates low
pressure region. HG
I LHOWTEPMRPEESRSAUTRUER
► Low pressure attract the E

wind from the

surrounding region.
► After having rains for a
few days sometime
monsoon fails to occur
for one or more weeks is
known as break in the
monsoon.
MONSOON WIND

Arabian sea Bay of Bengal

Branch Branch

INTER TROPICAELQCUOATNOVRERGENCE ZONE

RETREATING MONSOON SEASON

LOW PRESSURE
DISTRIBUTION OF RAINFALL

> 200cm

100-200cm

50-100 cm

< 50cm
• The summer monsoon brings in moisture from the Indian Ocean and produces a
tremendous amount of rain. The moisture from winter monsoons are largely blocked
by the Himalayas.

Nawomica Sahay, Cambridge school Bangalore

 CLIMATE CHANGE & INDIA

► India has long coast line and

rise of sea level will
submerge large area.
► A population of 7.1 million
living in coastal areas will be
affected.
► Production of crops like
wheat, rice etc. will
decrease. KOLKOTA
MUMBAI
► The natural disasters like
cyclone, floods and drought
will increase in frequency as CHENNAI
well as intensity.
TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE
1. Name the factors affecting climate of India .
2. Why the south western part of peninsular India
receives high rainfall?
3. Name the important green house gases.
4. How altitude affects climate?
5. How distance from sea affect climate?
6. What is meant by mango shower?
7. What is meant by Inter Tropical Convergence
Zone?
• Mango showers are the pre-monsoon showers in
the Indian states of Karnataka and Kerala that help in
the ripening of mangoes. Also known as April rains
or Summer showers, they are a result of
thunderstorms over the Bay of Bengal. These summer
rains normally come in the second half of the month
of April, though the arrival is difficult to predict. The
showers prevent the mangoes from dropping
prematurely from trees and are crucial for the mango
cultivators of South india.
THANK YOU
Explain the importance of the Himalayas and the Indian Ocean with respect to the climate
of India.
Answer:
(i) The Indian Ocean and the Himalayan ranges exert a great influence on the climate of
India and the origin of monsoons.
(ii) Because of high temperatures in summers, a low pressure area develops in the Punjab
Plains and the Thar Desert of Rajasthan.
(iii) At the same time a high pressure region develops over the Indian Ocean.
(iv) This attracts winds and they start blowing from the Indian Ocean towards the mainland
India.
(v) These are moisture-laden winds which bring rainfall to India.
(vi) These winds move towards the Himalayas and due to the natural obstruction of the
Himalayas, orographic rain occurs.
Describe in brief the changes occurring in the climatic conditions of India while going from
south to north.
Answer:
(i) India’s Climate is of monsoon type. But there is diversity in climatic conditions of India
due to the latitudinal location and altitude of the place.
(ii) As the Tropic of Cancer passes through middle of India, it divides the country into
tropical region and sub tropical region.
(iii) The tropical region receives nearly vertical rays of the Sun and the temperature increases
as we move towards the south.
(iv) In the sub tropical region of the north, summers are very hot and winters are very cool
and dry.
(v) The Himalayas lie in the northern part of India. They protects us from the cold winds that
blow from the north, obstructs the South West Monsoon Winds which results in orographic
rainfall in its southern slopes.
(vi) In major parts of India precipitation is in the form of rainfall, but in the Himalayas it is in
the form of snowfall.
Climate of India Climate of Brazil

(i) India has a monsoon type of climate. (i) Brazil has a tropical climate to the north and
temperate climate to the south.

(ii) The southern part of India lies in the tropical (ii) The northern part of Brazil lies in the tropical
region so the temperature is high in the south and region so the temperature is high in the north and
comparatively low in the north, i.e., the temperature comparatively low in the south, i.e., the temperature
decreases from south to north. decreases from north to south.

(iii) India receives rain from the South West and the (iii) Brazil receives rain from the South East and
North East Monsoon Winds. North East Trade Winds.

(iv) Brazil receives convectional and orographic type

(iv) India receives orographic rainfall. of rainfall.

(v) The western part of Rajasthan, Gujarat and (v) The north eastern part of the Brazilian highlands
eastern side of the Western Ghats receive less rain. is a rain shadow region.

(vi)     Tropical cyclones are a frequent phenomena. (vi) Tropical cyclones are a rare phenomena
The north-eastern part of Brazilian Highlands
receives very less rainfall.
Answer:
(i) Brazil gets rainfall from the South-East
Trade Winds and the North-East Trade Winds.
(ii) Parts of the Brazilian Highlands extend
upto the northern coast.
(iii) The Escarpments act as an obstruction to
the winds blowing from the sea and cause
orographic type of rainfall in the coastal region.
(iv) Beyond the Highlands, the effect of these
winds gets reduced. As a result, the rainfall is
minimal.
(v) Thus the North Eastern part of Brazilian
highlands receives less rainfall. This rain
shadow region is also called the ‘Drought
Quadrilateral’.
Enumerate the characteristics of the Western Ghats.
Answer:
(i) The Western Ghats are a continuous chain of mountains extending from north
to south for about 1600 km. They run parallel to the west cost of India.
(ii) In the north, i.e., in Maharashtra and Karnataka these mountain ranges are
referred as Sahyadris and in the south they are referred as Annamalai hills.
(iii) The height of the Western Ghats increases towards the south.
(iv) These hill ranges comprise of many peaks such as Kalsubai Peak (1646 m)
located to the north and Anaimudi Peak (2695 m) located to the south of Western
Ghats.
(v) The highest peak of Western Ghats is Anaimudi Peak (2695 m) located in
Annamalai hills.
(vi) The western slope of the Western Ghats is steep while the eastern slope is
gentle
(vii) The Western Ghats acts as a water divide for the rivers flowing towards
Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal.
 Differentiate between the Physiography of Brazil and India.
Answer:
Question 2.
The Physiography of India The Physiography of Brazil
(i) The physiographic divisions of India are the (i) The physiographic divisions of Brazil are: The
Himalayas, the North Indian Plains and the Peninsula, Highlands, The Great Escarpment, The Coastal region,
Coastal Plains, and the Islands. The Plains and The Islands.

(ii) There are long and high mountain ranges in (ii) In Brazil there are no high and continuous
northern and north eastern part of India in the form of mountain ranges. The eastern side of the Highlands is
Himalayan ranges. The Western Ghats and the Eastern demarcated because of the Escarpment. The Great
Ghats lie to the west and east of the Peninsular region. Escarpment located in south-eastern part of the
The average altitude of the Greater Himalayas is Highlands has an altitude of 790m in this region with
around 6000m. the height gradually decreasing.

(iii) In India the Plains occupy a wide area in the north.

The Plains lie between the Himalayas in the North and
the Peninsula in the South. It extends from Rajasthan
in the West to Assam in the East. The Coastal Plains lie
to the west and east of the Peninsula.
(iii) In Brazil the Amazon Basin in the North and the
Parana-Paraguay Basin to the South West constitutes
the Plains. Also a narrow coastal plain is confined to
the North and the East.

(iv) The Peninsular Plateau region of India lies to the (iv) In Brazil the Highlands occupy an extensive area in
South of the North Indian Plains and is divided into 2 the South and is described as the Brazilian Highlands
groups, the The Central Highlands and the Deccan or the Brazilian Shield. Also to the North lies the
Plateau. Guyana Highland.

(v) The islands in India are either volcanic or coral in (v) The islands in Brazil are mainly depositional and
The region to the north of the Escarpment is called Drought Quadrilateral.
Answer:
(i) The eastern side of the Highlands is demarcated because of the Escarpment having
an altitude of 790 m.
(ii) The Escarpment acts as a barrier to the Southeast trade winds and cause orographic
type of rainfall in the coastal region.
(iii) Beyond the highlands the effect of these winds gets reduced leading to minimal
rainfall.
(iv) A rain shadow region is formed to the north east of the Escarpment. Thus, the
region to the north of this area is called “Drought Quadrilateral”.
Major tributary of Ganga
Answer:
Yamuna river.
Question 16.
Tributaries of River Indus.
Answer:
Rivers Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi, Beas, and Satluj.
Question 17.
Origin of River Satluj.
Answer:
Mansarovar.
Question 18.
Rivers flowing into the Gulf of Khambhat.
Answer:
Rivers Tapi, Narmada, Mahi, and Sabarmati.
Question 19.