Climate extra notes - MCQ
1. Which of the following is the most significant element of weather and climate?
a) Temperature
b) Humidity
c) Rainfall
d) Wind speed
2. The western coast of India receives heavy rainfall during which season?
a) Winter
b) Summer
c) Monsoon
d) Spring
3. The wind blowing in the northern parts of India during the summer season is known as:
a) Loo
b) Norwester
c) Retrea ng monsoon
d) Trade winds
4. The term "monsoon" is derived from the Arabic word meaning:
a) Season
b) Rain
c) Wind
d) Hot
5. Which of the following is a factor influencing the distribu on of vegeta on and wildlife in India?
a) Temperature
b) Altitude
c) Rainfall
d) All of the above
Very short answer –
1. What is climate?
Answer: The climate refers to the sum total of weather condi ons and varia ons over a large area for a
long period of me.
2. What is weather?
Answer: ‘Weather’ refers to the state of the atmosphere over an area at any point of me.
3. Name the. elements of weather and climate.
Answer: Temperature, atmospheric pressure, wind, humidity and precipita on.
4. What does ‘monsoon’ imply?
Answer: The word, ‘monsoon’ comes from the Arabic word’ mausim’ which means season. It implies a
seasonal reversal in the wind direc on throughout the year.
5. What is burst of monsoon?
Answer: Around the me of its arrival, the normal rainfall increases suddenly and con nues constantly
for several days. This is known as the ‘burst’ of the monsoon.
6. What me the ‘retrea ng monsoons’?
Answer: During the months of October and November, the temperature in the Northern plains begins to
decrease, and because of low temperature, the pressure starts rising and the low pressure is no longer
strong enough to a ract the monsoon winds. This results in the retreat of the monsoon.
Short answer -
[Link] an overall unity in the gen¬eral pa ern of climate of India,there are percep ble regional
varia ons in clima c condi ons within the country. Jus fy.
Or
“India has diverse clima c condi ons”Support this statement by giving examples, each of tempera¬ture
and precipita on.
Answer:
The mercury occasionally touches 50°C in the western deserts, and it drops down to as low as -
45°C in winter around Leh.
The annual precipita on is less than 10 cm in the north-west Himalayas and the western desert.
It exceeds 400 cm in Meghalaya.
Most parts of the country receive rainfall from June to September, but some parts like the Tamil
Nadu coast get most of its rain during October and November.
2. Explain the factors affec ng India’s climate.
Answer:
La tude : The Tropic of Cancer passes through the middle of the country from the Rann of
Kuchchh in the west to Mizoram in the east. Almost half of the country, lying south of the Tropic
of Cancer, belongs to the tropical area. All the remaining area, north of the Tropic, lies in the sub-
tropic. Therefore, India’s climate has characteris cs of tropical as well as subtropical climates.
Al tude: India has mountains to the north which have an average height of about 6,000 metres.
India also has [Link] coastal area where the maximum eleva on i% about 30 metres. The
Himalayas prevent the cold winds from Central AsiafrQm entering the subcon nent. It is because
of these mountains that this subcon nent experiences compara vely milder winters as
compared to central Asia.
Pressure and Winds: The pressure and wind condi ons over India are unique. During winter,
there is a high-pressure area north of the Himalayas. Cold dry winds blow from this region to the
low-pressure areas over the oceans to the south. In summer, a low-pressure area develops over
interior Asia as well as over northwestern India. This causes a complete reversal of the direc on
of winds during summer. Air moves from the high-pressure area over the southern Indian Ocean,
in a south¬easterly direc on, crosses the equator, and turns right towards the low-pressure
areas over the Indian subcon nent. These are known as the Southwest Monsoon winds. These
winds blow over the warm oceans, gather moisture and bring widespread rainfall over the
mainland of India.
3. What is “October Heat”?
Answer:
The months of October-November form a period of transi on from a hot rainy season to dry
winter condi ons. The retreat of monsoons is marked by clear skies, and rise in temperature.
The land is s ll moist. Owing to the condi on of high temperature and humidity, the weather
becomes rather oppressive. This is commonly known as ‘October Heat’.
