30-12-2017, 04:23 PM
CLIMATE
*The climate of India is essentially sub-tropical monsoon climate.
*The location, latitudinal extent, distance from the sea, the Himalayas, physiography and monsoon winds are the major factors determining the climate of India.
*The northern part of India lies in sub tropical and temperate zone and the southern part falls in the tropical zone.
*Arabian sea and Bay of Bengal surround the Indian Peninsula and make climatic conditions mild along the coastal areas. Area that away from the influence of sea have extreme climate.
*The Himalayan Ranges protect India from the bitterly cold and dry winds of Central Asia during winter.
*The most dominating factor of the Indian climate is the Monsoon Winds.
*The word ‘monsoon’ has been derived from the Arabic word ‘mausim’ which means ‘seasons’.
*As per Indian Meteorological Department, there are four distinct seasons in India.
1.The Cold Season (December to the end of February)
2.The Hot dry season (March to May)
3.The south west monsoon season (June to September)
4.Retreating Monsoon Season (October and November)
The Cold Weather Season
*January is the coldest month
*Dras valley in Kashmir is the coldest place in India.
*The precipitation during the cold weather season in the northern plain due to the Western Disturbance from Mediterranean sea is highly beneficial to Rabi Crops.
The Hot Weather Season
*Pricipal agency responsible for meteorolgical observations,weather
*The hot wind blows over north Indian Plains
Ans : Loo
*Dust storms with strong winds are common in Punjab and UP where they are known as Norwester and Loo, and in West Bengal and Assam where they are known as Kalbaisakhi and Bardoichilla respectively.
*Thunder storms causes upto 25 cm of rainfall along the Kerala and Karnataka coasts and in the interior of South India. Such rains are called ‘Cherry Blossom in Karnataka and ‘Mango showers ’ elsewhere in South India.
*The mango showers are also known as April Rains or Summer Showers.
*Cherry Blossoms are beneficial to the coffee plantations
*Mango showers are beneficial to the Mango crop.
The South West Monsoon/Advancing Monsoon
*The south-west monsoon from the Arabian sea and the Bay of Bengal brings rainfall to the entire country.
*The sudden onset of the monsoon associated with violent thunder and lightening is often termed as the ‘break’ or ‘burst’ of the monsoon.
*The southwest monsoon is an orographic rainfall.
*Due to the peninsular shape of India, the south west monsoon stream splits into two branches
1)Arabian Sea branch
2)Bay of Bengal branch
*The Arabian sea branch first strikes on the Kerala coast by 1st June and advances northward. By 10th June it reaches Mumbai.
*The Arabian sea branch of south west monsoon causes rainfall all along the Malabar coast, Konkan coast, Western Ghats, Maharashtra, Gujarat and parts of Madhya Pradesh.
*Bay of Bengal branch of south west monsoon causes the heavy rainfall at Mawsynram (1200 cm) and Cherrapunji (1199 cm) annually.
*The Bay of Bengal branch meet the Arabian sea branch at Ganga plain and it causes precipitation in Punjab Haryana plain.
Retreating Monsoon (North East Monsoon)
*The north-east monsoon travels from land to sea cause rainfall along the Coromandel coast.
Local Winds during hot season
*Norwester-Punjab
*Loo-Uttar Pradesh
*Kalbaisakhi-West Bengal
*Bordoichila-Assam
Key Facts
*The place which receives maximum rainfall in India
Ans : Mausinram (Meghalaya)
*The place which receives minimum rainfall in India - Leh (Jammu & Kashmir) Driest place in India
Ans : Jaisalmer (Rajasthan)
*Highest temperature ever recorded in India
Ans : 51°C (Phalodi, Rajasthan)
*Place having lowest temperature in India
Ans : Dras (Jammu & Kashmir)
