CLIMATE

CLASS-IX

Climate: Distance from the sea (continentality)

Climate refers to the sum total of weather As the distance from the sea increases, its
conditions and variations over a large area for a moderating influence decreases and the people
long period of time (more than thirty years). experience extreme weather conditions.

Weather: Ocean currents

• Weather refers to the state of the Along with onshore winds affect the climate of the
atmosphere over an area at any point of coastal areas, for example, any coastal area with
time. warm or cold currents flowing past it, will be
warmed or cooled if the winds are onshore.
The elements of weather and climate are the same
Relief features
• Temperature
• Atmospheric Pressure Plays a major role in determining the climate of a
• Wind place. High mountains act as barriers for cold or
• Humidity hot winds; they may also cause precipitation if
• Precipitation. they are high enough and lie in the path of rain-
bearing winds
On the basis of the monthly atmospheric
conditions, the year is divided into seasons such Factors affecting India's Climate
as:
Latitude
• Winter
• Summer • The Tropic of Cancer passes through the
• Rainy Seasons middle of the country from the Rann of
Kuchchh in the west to Mizoram in the
The climate of India is described as the ‘monsoon’ east.
type. In Asia, this type of climate is found mainly • Therefore, India’s climate has
in the south and the southeast. characteristics of tropical as well as
Climatic Controls subtropical climates.

Altitude
Latitude
• The Himalayas prevent the cold winds
Due to the curvature of the earth, the amount of
from Central Asia from entering the
solar energy received varies.
subcontinent.
Altitude • Making winter milder as compared to
central Asia.
Air temperature generally decreases from the
equator towards the poles. Pressure and Winds

Pressure and wind system Atmospheric conditions that govern climate and
associated weather conditions in India are:
The pressure and wind system of any area depend
on the latitude and altitude of the place.

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Pressure and surface winds
• In summer, a low-pressure area develops
over interior Asia as well as over north-
western 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
Upper air circulation
• The upper air circulation in this region is
dominated by a westerly flow.
• An important component of this flow is the
The Onset &Withdrawal of the Monsoons:
jet stream.
• Jet Streams are a narrow belt of high
altitude westerly winds in the troposphere
(transition between troposphere and
stratosphere).
Western cyclonic disturbances and tropical
cyclones.
• The western cyclonic disturbances
experienced in the north and north-western
parts of the country are brought in by this
westerly flow.
• The western cyclonic disturbances are
weather phenomena of the winter months
brought in by the westerly flow from the
Mediterranean region.
• They usually influence the weather of the
north and north-western regions of India.
The Indian Monsoon
• Monsoons are seasonal winds which
reverse their direction of flow with the
change of season.
• The climate of India is strongly influenced
by monsoon winds.
Factors that affect the mechanism of Indian
Monsoon
• Differential heating and cooling of land
and water create low pressure on land
while the sea experiences high pressure.
• Shifting of Inter Tropical Convergence
Zone (ITCZ) over the Ganga plain during
summers.
• The intensity and position of high-pressure
area towards the east of Madagascar
approximately at 20°S over the Indian
Ocean affects the Indian Monsoon. affects
the Indian Monsoon.
• The heating up of the Tibetan plateau in
summers creates low pressure above the
plateau.
• 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.
• Southern Oscillation.
• The duration of the monsoon is between
100-120 days from early June to mid-
September. When the monsoon arrives, the
intensity of the rainfall increases which
continues for several days; this is known as
the ‘burst’ of the monsoon.
• By the first week of June, the monsoon
arrives in Kerala. It is then divided into two
branches-the Bay of Bengal branch and the
Arabian Sea branch.
• The Arabian Sea branch reaches Mumbai
about ten days later on approximately the
10th of June.
• The Bay of Bengal branch also advances
rapidly and arrives in Assam in the first
week of June.
• By mid-June, the monsoon strikes the
central parts of the country and the
Saurashtra and Kutch regions.
• Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana and
eastern Rajasthan receive rainfall by the
first week of July.
• The withdrawal of the monsoon begins in
north-western states of India by early
September.
• By mid-October, it withdraws completely
from the northern half of the peninsula.
• By December, the monsoons retreat
completely from the rest of India.
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The Seasons
Four main seasons can be identified in India
The cold weather season.
• The season begins from mid-November
and stays till February in northern India.
• Coldest months are December and January
in the northern part of India.
• Days are warm and nights are cold. Frost is
common in the north and the higher slopes
of the Himalayas experience snowfall.
• The northeast trade winds prevail over the
country.
The hot weather season.
• The hot weather season in India begins
from March to May.
• Temperatures up to 48 degrees Celsius are
experienced in North India.
• A striking feature of the hot weather season
is the ‘Loo’. ‘Loo’ is strong, gusty, hot, dry
winds blowing during the day over the
north and north-western India.
• Dust storms are common and sometime
may bring light rain and cool breeze
• In peninsular India, temperatures remain
lower due to the moderating influence of
the oceans.
The advancing monsoon.
• By early June, the trade winds of the
southern hemisphere get attracted to the
northern hemisphere due to the creation of
low-pressure condition there.
• During the early monsoon season, the
places located on the windward side of the
Western Ghats receive heavy rainfall up to
250 cm.
• The north-eastern parts of the country
receive heavy rainfall. Mawsynram in
Meghalaya receives the highest amount of
rainfall in the world.
• Rainfall in the Ganga valley decreases
from the east to the west.
• Rajasthan and parts of Gujarat get scanty
rainfall.
The retreating monsoon.
• During October and November, the
southwest monsoon winds become weaker
and start retreating from the Northern
Plains by the beginning of October.
• By early November, the low-pressure
conditions, over north-western India, get
transferred to the Bay of Bengal which
cause cyclonic depressions.
• Most of the rainfall in the Coromandel
Coast is derived from depressions and
cyclones.
Distribution of Rainfall:
• Rainfall distribution is not the same for
every part of the country. While north-
eastern India and the parts of the western
coast receive about 400 cm of rainfall
annually, western Rajasthan and the
western parts of Gujarat, Punjab and
Haryana receive less than 60 cm of rainfall.
• Rainfall is also low in the Eastern Ghats,
interior parts of the Deccan Plateau and the
Leh region of Jammu and Kashmir.
• The other parts of the country receive
moderate rainfall.
• While areas of high rainfall are liable to be
affected by floods, areas of low rainfall are
drought-prone
Monsoon as a Unifying Bond:
• The climatic conditions are irregular and
uncertain due to location, extent and relief
features.
• These monsoon winds bind the whole
country by providing water to set the
agricultural activities in motion.
• Farmers eagerly wait for the arrival of
rainfall. Rainfall provides the water
required to set agricultural activities in
motion.
• Its arrival is welcomed with the celebration
of festivals, singing and dancing.
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