Monsoon in India

Monsoon in India is generally referred to as the rainy season or the locally heavy but short-term
rains that occur during the period. There are mainly four monsoon systems in the world namely:
Asian-Australian, North American, South American, and West African.

The term monsoon was technically derived from the Arabic word: ‘Mawsim’ which was used to
refer to seasons. Monsoon refers to the ‘seasonal winds’ that occur during specific periods
during the year causing rains in various parts of the world. The monsoon in India occurs through
the southwest monsoon winds in the summer months and northeast monsoon winds during the
winter season.

Types of Monsoon in India

Monsoon in India is much-awaited by the farming community in the country. India being a
majorly agricultural economy, awaits a good monsoon. There are two types of the Indian
monsoon -

• Southwest Monsoon
• Northeast Monsoon

The rainy season in India also known as the Southwest Monsoon Season that majorly
dominates the region. The Northeast Monsoon enters India's northeast region. The monsoon in
India generally occurs between April and September. Therefore we can say that India and
Southeast Asia majorly depend on the summer season for its monsoon.

South West Monsoon in India

The Southwest monsoon winds are responsible for bringing heavy rainfall to maximum regions
in India. What initiates the Southwest monsoon is extreme heat on the Tibetan Plateau in the
summer season. This leads to the formation of low pressure and permanent high pressure in
the south direction of the Indian Ocean. The rains caused by the Southwest monsoon are a
result of the large air currents that pass through the warm equatorial ocean which gives rise to
evaporation.

• After crossing the equator, the Southwestern winds branch out into two and move over
the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea. This happens due to the Southwest monsoon
winds hitting the Western Ghats.
• The monsoon in the Arabian Sea region is much stronger than that in the Bay of Bengal.
• High levels of evaporation from the surface of the ocean give rise to water vapor and the
southwest monsoon winds, then filled with the water vapor gradually start cooling while
rising above the land surface and moving towards the north direction.
 • When the air reaches its saturation point and cannot retain the moisture, it brings heavy
rains.
• At times, there are many heavy showers of rain that even result in floods in the area.
• Kerala is the first Indian state to receive rainfall during the Southwest monsoon.
• The Tamil Nadu coast generally remains dry during the Southwest monsoon as Tamil
Nadu gets its rainfall during the winter months due to Northeastern trade winds.

Northeast Monsoon
The Northeast monsoon originated from the creation of high amounts of pressure over the
Siberian and the Tibetan Plateaus during the winter season. The Northeastern winds are
responsible for bringing rains to the Southeast coast of India. The Southeast coast refers to
areas of Tamil Nadu coast and Seemandhra’s south coast.

• During the Northeast monsoon, the winds blow from sea to land, and the monsoon
winds carry the moisture created by the Indian Ocean.
• The Northeast monsoon majorly affects South India causing rainfall in Puducherry,
Karaikal, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Yanam, Mahe, and Karnataka from the months
of October to December.
• The three months mentioned above majorly result in heavy rainfall in the Tamil Nadu
region which means 48% of the total rainfall in a year there.

Factors Affecting Monsoon in India

The monsoon season occurs all over the world in tropical areas between 20 degrees North and
20 degrees South. There are a number of factors that influence the monsoon in India.

• Variable heating and cooling of land and water

• The intense heating of the Tibetan plateau during the summer season
• High-pressure area in the east of Madagascar which is located approximately 20
degrees to the South over the Indian Ocean
• Tropical Easterly Jet or the African Easterly Jet
• Southern Oscillation - An irregular periodic variation in the temperature of the sea
surface and winds in the tropical eastern Pacific Ocean.

Mechanism of Indian Monsoon

India majorly relies on the monsoon season, being an agriculture-based economy. The origin of
monsoon in India has not been fully traced until now. Many theories have been doing rounds
with respect to the mechanism of monsoon in India and worldwide.
 • The monsoon season is majorly experienced in the tropical region between 20 degrees
North - 20 degrees South.
• Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) plays an important role in the smooth mechanism
of monsoon. With the movement of the sun, the location of the ITCZ moves towards both
north and south of the equator.
• The changing location of the ITCZ plays a big role in the occurrence of monsoons. E.g
when the ITCZ is located on the Indo-Gangetic Plain in July, the region experiences a
South-West monsoon.
• Another theory behind the Indian Monsoon is the heating up of the Tibetan plateau
resulting in jet streams which are also called the tropical easterly jet stream (TEJ). It
results in a high-pressure cell over the Indian ocean resulting in monsoon in India.

Monsoon Winds in India

Based on the type of monsoon occurring in the Indian subcontinent, there are two types of
winds that actually give the classification of the two types of monsoon in India. Based on that
classification and the reason for these two types of monsoons arising in India, there are two
types of monsoon winds:

• Southwest Monsoon Winds

• Northeast Monsoon Winds

Importance of Monsoon in India

India is an agricultural economy that holds a lot of importance to rainfall. Monsoon in India is a
boon that directly affects not only the health and wellness of the citizens of the country but also
the GDP of the economy. The importance of monsoon in India can not be denied. Let us look at
a few points about how the monsoon in India is an important phenomenon.

• Monsoon in India is much awaited as it totally affects the growth of our necessary crops
and vegetables. India utilizes a large chunk of its land for agricultural activities as
compared to any other country in the world.
• Fewer rainfall results in unnecessary wastage of the grown crops.
• A bad monsoon in India results in decreased income and affects the livelihood of many
people as a major amount of them work in the agriculture field.
• A good monsoon in India can result in increased amounts of hydroelectric power
generation which accounts for at least 25% of India’s electricity generation.