CLIMATE

Weather Climate

-​ Weather refers to the state of the -​ Climate refers to the total of weather
atmosphere over an area at any point conditions and variations over a large
in time. area for a long period of time (30 +
-​ It is a daily phenomenon and changes years)
regularly.

→ Elements of weather and climate are the same: temperature, wind, humidity, atmospheric
pressure and precipitation.
→ based on generalised monthly atmospheric conditions, the year is divided into seasons such
as winter, summer or rainy.
→ The climate in India is monsoon type.
→ We have 4 seasons — Winter, Summer, Advancing Monsoon and Retreating Monsoon

Variations in temperature and precipitation:

-​ In summers [ Rajasthan : 50C , Pahalgam 20C] in winters [Drass 45C ,
Thiruvananthapuram 22C]
-​ Precipitation varies in form and type and also the amount and seasonal distribution.
-​ While it is in the form of snow in the Himalayas, it rains in the rest of the country.
-​ Most of the country's rainfall is from June to Sept
-​ But in Tamil Nadu, most rain is in November and October.
-​ Meghalaya gets 400cm per annum
-​ Ladakh and Rajasthan get less than 10cm
-​ Diurnal range in thar desert. The thar deserts temperature may rise to 50C and drop
to 15C at night.

Factors affecting the climate of a place:

-​ Latitude: The farther away from the equator, the colder the climate becomes. Due
to the curvature of the earth, the amount of solar energy received varies according to the
latitude thus air temperature according to latitude, air temperature decreases towards
the poles.
-​ Altitude: Higher elevations lead to thinner and lesser air therefore less air to hold
heat which makes it colder. The higher the elevation, the lower the temperature.
-​ Distance from sea: As the distance from the sea increases, its moderating influence
decreases and people experience extreme weather conditions. This condition is known
as continentality [very hot during summers, very cold during winters]
-​ Pressure and wind system: Air pressure affects the wind system. Wind affects the
rainfall of a region.
-​ Cold and warm ocean currents: Ocean currents can either warm up a region or cool
down a region depending on their source.
 -​ Relief: If the moisture-laden wind blows perpendicular to a mountain, orographic rainfall
occurs. High mountains act as barriers to cold or hot winds. High mountains also cause
rainfall.

→ Four elements of weather are temperature, air pressure, wind and moisture. These interact
and affect one another.
→ Surface temperature differences cause pressure differences. Hot surface heats the air above
it which expands lowering air pressure and density.
→ This accelerates air from high pressure to low pressure creating wind and earth
rotation then causes the curvature of the flow due to the Coriolis effect.
→ This, as more often temp increases the atmospheric pressure decreases.
→ Winds are named on the region/directions they flow in.

Factors Affecting India’s Climate:

-​ Latitude : ​
- The tropic of cancer passes through the middle of the country.​
- India's climate has characteristics of both tropical and subtropical climate
-​ Altitude : ​
- India has mountains in the north with an average altitude of 6000m. India also has
a vast coastal area with a max elevation of 30m
- The Himalayas and Western Ghats cause orographic rainfall
- The Himalayas also block the cold winds from central Asia from entering the
country resulting in milder winters.
-​ Pressure and winds : ​
- Pressure and surface winds | Upper air circulation | Western cyclonic disturbances and
tropical cyclones.
-​ India lies in the path of NE trade winds. These winds blow from the high-pressure
belt of the northern hemisphere towards the equatorial low-pressure areas. Since they
blow from land they carry little water and bring little to no rain in India.
-​ So, India should have been an Arid land right? NO.
-​ During winter, there is a high-pressure area north of the Himalayas. Cold dry winds blow
from this region to the low-pressure area which develops over northwest India.

Unique pressure and wind conditions due to which India isn't arid:
-​ In summer, a low-pressure area develops over interior Asia as well as over northwest
India.
-​ This causes a complete reversal of the direction of winds during the summer.
-​ Air moves from high-pressure areas over the southern Indian Ocean in a southeastern
direction, crosses the equator and turns right towards the low-pressure areas over the
Indian subcontinent.
-​ These are known as southwest monsoon winds.
-​ These winds blow over the warm oceans, gather moisture and bring widespread rainfall
over the mainland of India.
-​ Thus, India is not an Arid land.
→ Monsoon type of climate has a distinct seasonal pattern.

→ The weather conditions greatly change from one season to another.

Features of cold weather season in India:

1.​ Cold weather season is from mid-November in northern India till February.
2.​ December and January are the coldest months in north India
3.​ The temperature decreases from south to north in India
4.​ The average temperature of Chennai is 24-25C, while in the northern plains, it is 10-15C
5.​ Days are warm and nights are cold. Frost is common in the N, there is snowfall on
higher slopes of the Himalayas.
6.​ During this season, the NE trade winds blow over the country and give rain on the Tamil
Nadu coast.
7.​ In the northern part, a feeble high-pressure region develops, with light winds moving
outwards from this area. These wins blow through the Ganga Valley from the W and NW.
8.​ The weather is marked by clear skies and feeble variable winds.
9.​ A feature of this season is the inflow of cyclonic disturbances from the west and
NW. They originate over the Mediterranean Sea and cause much-needed winter
rain over the plains and snowfall in the mountains. They are called “Mohawat” and
are vital for the Rabi crop.
10.​Peninsular India does not have a well-defined winter.

Features of the hot weather season in India:

1.​ The hot weather season is from March to May.
2.​ In March the highest temperature is about 38C in the Deccan plateau.
3.​ In April temperature in MP and Gujarat is around 42C
4.​ In May 45C is common in NW India
5.​ In peninsular India, temperatures are lower due to the moderating influence of the sea.
6.​ The northern part experiences a rising temperature and falling air pressure.
7.​ Towards the end of May, a low-pressure area develops from the Thar desert in the west
to the Chotanagar plateau in the east. Air circulation begins to set in around this trough.
8.​ During this season strong, gusty winds called “loo” blow during the day in N and
NW India.
9.​ Dust storms are coming in May in north India. They bring light rain and a cool breeze.
10.​Localised thunderstorms blow, accompanied by violent winds, rain and
sometimes hail. In West Bengal, they are called “Kaal Baisakhi”

Features of the advancing monsoon season:

1.​ By early June the low pressure over the Northern plain intensifies.
2.​ This attracts the trade winds of the southern hemisphere which give moisture to the
sub-continent.
3.​ Early in the season, the windward side of the western ghats receives very heavy rainfall,
more than 250cm.
 4.​ The Deccan Plateau and parts of MP also receive some rain, even though they lie in the
shadow area.
5.​ The maximum rainfall of this season is received in NE India. Mawyswaram in
Meghalaya has the highest rainfall in the world.
6.​ Rainfall in the Ganga Valley decreases from east to west.
7.​ This attracts the trade winds of the southern Indian Ocean. They cross the equator and
enter the Indian peninsula as the SW monsoon. As these winds blow over the warm
oceans, they bring rainfall to the subcontinent.
8.​ The monsoon has breaks in it. So it has wet and dry spells. Rains take place only for a
few days at a time and there are rainless intervals in between called “breaks in
monsoon”
9.​ Rainfall in the mountains brings devastating floods in the plains causing damage to life
and property.
10.​Depressions forming in the BOB also determine the amount and intensity of monsoon
rains.
11.​The monsoon is uncertain. It is often irregular in arrival and retreat. It may cause floods
in one part and drought in the other.

Features of retreating monsoon:

1.​ During October - November the low-pressure trough over the northern plains weakens
2.​ This is gradually replaced by a high-pressure system
3.​ The SW monsoon winds weaken and withdraw gradually
4.​ By the beginning of October, the monsoon withdrew from the northern plains
5.​ Oct and Nov mark a period of transition from hot and rainy to a dry winter
6.​ The retreat of monsoon is marked by clear skies and a rise in temperature
7.​ Day temperature is high, night is cool and pleasurable. The land is still moist. Due to
high temp and humidity, the weather becomes oppressive during the day. This is called
the “October heat”
8.​ In the second half of October temperature begins to fall.

Distribution of Rainfall in the country:

1.​ Very heavy: Parts of the western coast and northeastern India receive over 400cm of
rainfall annually.
2.​ Very low: Less than 60cm in western Rajasthan and adjoining areas of Gujarat, Haryana
and Punjab.
3.​ Interior Deccan plateau and east of Satyadaris (western ghats in Maharashtra)
4.​ Rainfall is also low around Leh in J&K.
5.​ The rest of the country receives moderate rainfall
6.​ Annual rainfall is also variable from year to year
7.​ Areas of high rainfall are liable to flooding, while areas of low rainfall are drought-prone.
Monsoon as a unifying bond:
1.​ The unifying influence of the monsoon on India is quite perceptible.
2.​ The season's alterations of the wind systems and associated weather conditions provide
a rhythmic cycle of seasons.
3.​ The Indian landscape, its animal and plant life, its agricultural calendar and the life of
people including their festivities revolve around monsoon.
4.​ Year after year, people all over the country eagerly await the arrival of the monsoon.
5.​ These monsoon winds bind the country by providing water to set the agricultural activity
in monsoon.
6.​ The river valleys which carry this water also unite as a single river valley unit. [As they
directly/indirectly have the same source which is the rainfall]

IMP STUFF:

How does latitude affect India's climate?

-​ First point above.
-​ The tropic of cancer passes through the middle of the country from the rann of Kuchh in
the west to Mizoram in the east. Half the country, lying south of the tropic of Cancer,
belongs to the tropical area.
-​ All the remaining areas, north of the tropics lie in the subtropics, thus India has
characteristics of both tropical and subtropical climates.

Where is the low-pressure area located in May?

-​ An elongated low-pressure area develops a region extending from the Thar desert in the
NW to the Patna and Chotanagar plateau in the east and southeast.

Explain how the Tamil Nadu coast receives winter rainfall.

-​ The NE trade winds blow from land to sea and hence for most parties of the country, it is
a dry season. Rainfall occurs on the Tamil Nady coast from these winds as here they
blow from the sea to land and pick up moisture from the Bay of Bengal to give showers.