Std.

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Climate of India

Prepared by

Anjali Saxena
 Climate of India

What are monsoons?

LP

• Monsoons are seasonal changes in the

HP HP wind direction from sea to land in
summers and land to sea in winters.
HP
HP • They are caused by extreme heating
and cooling of the large landmasses in
relation to the surrounding seas. This
affects both pressure and winds
LP LP LP Low Pressure

HP High Pressure
 Climate of India

The word Monsoon is

derived from the Arabic
word Mausim meaning
season . The traveler took
advantage of the seasonal
winds to sail their ships
to South East Asia
 Climate of India
India Land of Climatic Extremes

Mawsynram near
Cherrapunji
highest rainfall in the
world above 12oocm
annually Thiruvananthapuram
annual range is only 30 C due to coastal influence

Jaisalmer- rainfall below 25 cm Kargil – Coldest –40 0 C

Thar Desert annual range is very
annually high and Highest Temperature is 500 C
 Climate of India
FACTORS INFLUENCING
CLIMATE
1.Role of Himalayas
2.Distance from the Sea
3.Latitudinal Setting
4.Altitude
5.Presence of Relief Features
6.Prevailing winds
7.Upper air circulation
 Climate of India
ROLE OF HIMALAYAS-

rs
nte
wi
s in
nd
wi
dry
ld
Co
• They do not allow the cold dry wind

s
to enter Indian Sub Continent in

ind
tw
ois
Winters so India has a warmer winter

M
arm
W
• They trap the moist monsoon wind
and so India get rains in summers, or
India would have been a desert.
 Climate of India
Influence of the Sea
moderate climate
Due to land and sea breeze areas close to the sea have a low
daily and annual range of temperature eg Chennai Range: 32.5-
24.5 = 80 C
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May June Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Temp 24.5 25.7 27.7 20.4 30.0 32.5 31.0 30.0 29.8 28.0 25.9 24.7
In 0C
Rainfall 4.6 1.3 1.3 1.8 3.8 4.5 8.7 11.3 11.9 30.6 35.0 13.5
in cm

continental or extreme climate Areas far from sea have no

moderating influence of the sea so experience large difference in
summer and winter temperature. – large annual range of
temperature eg Delhi Range: 36.5-14.4=22.1 0 C

Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec
Temp in oC 14.4 17.7 23.3 33.0 34.3 36.5 35.0 29.4 28.9 25.6 19.4 15.8
Rainfall in 3.5 1.5 1.3 1.0 1.8 7.4 19.3 17.8 11.9 1.3 0.2 1.0
cm
 Climate of India
Latitudinal Position The
c of Cancer :divides the country into two halves
Tropical Region to the south and Sub Tropical to the
north.
 Tropical region has the influence of the sea Sub tropical
is far from sea.
 Places close to equator experience nearly vertical rays
so it has warmer climate and winters are not
experienced.
 Places away from equator have larger difference in
summer and winter temperature.
 Places close to equator experience smaller annual
range of temperature.
 Places away from equator have larger annual range of
temperature.
 Places closer to equator experience smaller difference
in the length of day and night through out the year eg
Kochi.
 Places away from equator have larger difference in the
length of day and night eg. Gurgaon.
 Climate of India
Altitude LAPSE RATE
60 C for 1000m or
Temperature decreases with increase in 10 C for 166m
altitude as heat is transferred from below.

Rate of fall of temperature is 60 C for 1000

m increase in height.

Therefore hills and mountains are cooler

in summers than plains.

This is why Shimla is cooler than

Chandigarh .

Peninsular plateau has a higher altitude

than the northern plains, so they are
cooler than Northern plains.
 Climate of India
Relief features
• Western Ghat- Get heavy rain on windward
western side while eastern side is a rain
shadow area
• Cherapunji on windward side of Khasi hills
in Meghalaya gets over1200 cm however
Shillong on leeward side gets 200 cm only. LADAKH
• Ladakh lies on the Leeward side of Great
Himalayas and is a cold desert.
• Aravalli run parallel to the Arabian Sea
Branch on monsoons and is unable to stop
these winds so Rajasthan has very little
rain and its western side is a hot desert.
 Climate of India
PREVAILING WINDS
WINTERS WE
STE
RLI

S
ES

ND
WI
• The North East Trade winds are the Prevailing

E
AD
winds over India.

TR
ST
EA
• They blow from Land to Sea and are Dry Winds.

H
RT
NO
• They give rainfall to Tamil Nadu coast as they
pick up moisture when they cross Bay of Bengal.
This is winter Monsoon in Tamil Nadu.
• Due to shifting of pressure and wind belts in
Winters South Westerlies blow from the
Mediterranean Sea and bring winter rainfall and
snow fall to northern. India.
 Climate of India
PREVAILING WINDS
SUMMER
• Due to intense heating of the Land Mass a
Low Pressure is created over North LOW
PRESSURE
Western India.
• South East Trade Winds cross the Equator H

CH
NC

N
A
and try to reach this low pressure. BR

RA
AL

AB
N G

SE
BE
• When they blow in the northern

N
OF

IA
Y

AB
BA
hemisphere they turn to their right and

AR
start blowing from sea to land as Arabian
Sea Branch and Bay Of Bengal Branch.
• They bring monsoon rainfall to India in
Summers.
 Climate of India
JET STREAMS

• They are Upper Air Circulation at an altitude of

3 to 5 km from the ground.

N
• They are fast moving winds which influence the Wes
surface winds. te rly J
et S
trea
• In Winters- Westerly Jet Stream shifts south of m
Himalayas and brings temperate cyclones from
the Mediterranean sea over India.
Easte
• In Summers- The Easterly Jet Stream blows in r ly J e
t Stre
am
the tropical region over peninsular India and
brings tropical cyclones and impacts the
distribution of rainfall in the monsoon season.
 Climate of India
EL NINO
• The phenomenon of El Niño has been observed for centuries. 
Fishermen off the coast of Peru noted that unusually warm waters
would occasionally reduce the number of otherwise abundant
anchovies and other fish.
• Because the effects often began near Christmastime, the phenomenon
was dubbed "El Niño", Spanish for the child, or more specifically, the
Christ child. 
• It was known that the phenomenon occurred every few years at
irregular intervals; however, the far-reaching effects were not
discovered until the 20th century.
• Every few years( 3 to 5 years) due to the warming of the Pacific Ocean
a narrow warm current temporarily replaces the Peru cold
temperature in the Pacific Ocean my rise by 100C.
• This disrupts the World Weather Pattern and wind system some places
have devastating floods due to too much rain, cyclones etc while some
suffer from sever drought .
• Monsoon become very weak during these conditions.
• The Drought of 1987 was due to El Nino.
 Climate of India
1) What do you understand by the Monsoon Type of Climate?
2) What is the implication on climate, of the large north south extent
of India?
3) Why peninsular India has low annual range of temperature?
4) What is the twofold role of the Himalayas on the climate of India?
5) Why Gurgaon has a continental climate? Compare the climate of
Gurgaon and Mumbai.

Assignment 6) Name the prevailing winds over India? Why they change their
direction in summers.
7) Why is Shimla cooler then Chandigarh?
8) What are jet streams? What is their role in the climate of India?
9) Why the eastern side of Western Ghats an area of low rainfall?
10)Why Rajasthan remains an arid area
11)Why Shillong has only 200 cm of rainfall while Cherrapunji has
over 1000 cm of rain annually?
12)Which parts of India receive winter rain fall and why? Name the
crops for which it is beneficial.
 Mechanism Of Monsoon
Monsoons are periodic winds which change their direction
In summers they blow from sea to land due to a low pressure
on land and high pressure on the sea.
As they blow from sea, they are leaden with moisture and bring
heavy rain.
These are the South West Monsoon winds. as they blow from
SW
In winters the land has a low temperature and high pressure
while sea is warm and has a low pressure, so winds blow from
land to sea.
They are dry and cold winds
These are the prevailing winds over India –North East Trade
Winds
Most of the country remains dry.
Only Tamil Nadu Coast receives rain as these dry winds pick up
moisture from the Bay of Bengal before reaching the Tamil Nadu
Coast.
 Which winds blow as South West Monsoon
Winds?
South East Trade Winds
In summers due to the intense heating of the
northern hemisphere the pressure belts shift
northwards.
The Thermal Equator or Inter Tropical
Convergence Zone ITCZ lies north of 00 Equator
( Low Pressure Belt where SE and NE trade winds
Converge)
The South East Trade Winds cross the Equator
and are attracted by the Low Pressure in India.
As per the ferrals law of deflection of winds, winds
will blow to the right in the northern hemisphere.
Therefore the South East Trade Winds turn to the
right and blow as south west monsoon winds.
Cycle of Seasons
Climate of the Indian Sub- Continent is characterised by Seasons-
• 1- Cold Weather Season- The Winter Season
• 2- Hot Weather Season- The Summer Season
• 3- The Period of South West Monsoon- The Rainy Season
• 4-The Season of Retreating Monsoon
 Cold Weather Season
or The Winter Season
Duration- in North India: Mid November to End of March
In Southern India- December to February
Temperature-
January coldest month
Temperature may be very low in northern India, while
winter is not clearly marked in the peninsular region.
is low(below 210 C in Northern India due to higher
latitude and distance from the sea
In Thiruvananthapuram average temperature is 310 C as
it is close to equator and the Sea.
Large diurnal range of Temperature- days are warm
nights are cold.
Pressure and Winds-
High Pressure over land and low pressure over the sea
North East Trade winds blow from land to sea and are
cold and dry winds
Due to shifting of pressure belts to the south North
Western India comes under the influence of westerlies
which bring temperate cyclones from Mediterranean
sea
 1- Cold Weather Season- The Winter Season

Rainfall-
North western India receives temperate
cyclones called western disturbances .
They give light rain which is good for Rabi
crops such as wheat and mustard.
Coromandel Coast in Tamil Nadu receives
rain from North East Trade Winds
This is winter monsoon for Tamil Nadu.
Rest of the country is dry as Trade winds
blow from land to sea in this season
 Hot Weather Season or The Summer
Season
• Duration- March,April –May
• Temperature-
• After 21st March Southern India starts becoming warm ,however due to the influence of
the Sea and altitude (as it is a plateau) temperature never vary between 26-30 0 C.
• By May it becomes very hot and dry and local thunderstorms bring down the
temperature.
• In Northern India temperatures rise to 41-45 0 C due to distance from the sea and low
altitude.
• Western region of Rajasthan and Gujrat may experience temperature of
47-480 C
• The Himalayan range has lower temperatures due to altitude and are attractive tourist
destinations.
• Range of temperature is large.
 Arabian Sea Branch
 It blows with full force towards Indian Peninsula
 It is three times stronger than Bay Of Bengal
Branch
 It gives heavy rainfall to the wind ward western
side of Western Ghats.
 Leeward side is a rain shadow area
Arabian Sea Branch
 It blows over Rajasthan without giving any rainfall
as-
 Aravali Hills are parallel to the Arabian
Sea Branch.
 Thar desert is too hot and therefore do
not help in condensation.
 A part of this branch moves through the
Narmada , Tapi Trough and gives rain to central
India.
 After crossing western India this branch gives
heavy rain to Western Himalayas.
Characteristic of monsoon rainfall
• Monsoons arrive with loud thunder , lightning, heavy downpour after the hot
dry season this is called the BURST OF MONSOON
• Kanyakumari is the first to see the arrival of monsoon on 1 st June it takes one
month to cover the country- Punjab receives monsoons on 1st July and
• Monsoon rainfall comes as tropical cyclones and is not continuous and there
are breaks in monsoons.
• Monsoon rainfall is erratic and unreliable as Rain may vary from year to year
• It is not uniformly distributed some places get over 400 cm and other only 25
cm eg T har desert
• It may arrive early or late.
 Retreating Monsoon
Duration – October and November
Temperature-
Due to the movement of the vertical sun to the southern
hemisphere northern India starts cooling down
Day temperature rises as the sky clears up
In peninsular India as the humidity is high, the weather becomes
oppressive and it is called October heat
Diurnal range of temperature increases
Pressure and winds -
The low pressure starts shifting from western India to the Head
of Bay Of Bengal
It develops into strong tropical storms called Cyclones and cause
devastation on the eastern coast and sometimes western
coast.eg- Hud Hud, Fani, Orissa Cyclone.
Rainfall-
Cyclonic storms along the east coast.
Kerela is the last to see the departure of Monsoon
It takes two months for the monsoons to withdraw from India.
Distribution of
rainfall in India
 PPT Edited by-
Dr. Ruchi S. Goyal