CLIMATE OF INDIA

Prof. Gouri Chakraborty

Latitudes or Parallels
• The angular distance of a place north or south of the earth's equator
• Total number of Latitude: 181
• Total number of Parallels: 179
• Longest Parallel: Equator/Great Circle
• Distance between two latitudes: 111.1 Km/111 Km/69 Miles
• Important lines of latitudes

Temperature Zones
▪ Torrid Zone: 23½ ° N - 23½ ° S
▪ The word “Torrid” means very hot and dry
▪ This zone receives the maximum amount of
Sunlight and, therefore, is the hottest zone
among all three zones.
▪ The torrid zone has only two seasons, i.e.
rainy and dry.
▪ India falls under Torrid Zone
▪ The Torrid zone covers almost 40% of Earth’s
total surface
▪ This zone has a very rich biodiversity, fauna
and flora
▪ Consists of 40% of the total world population due to its hospitable and viable climatic conditions
for human settlement.
▪
Temperate Zone:
North Temperate Zone: 23½° N- 66½° N
South Temperate Zone: 23½° S- 66½° S
• The word Temperate means moderate
• As this zone is located between the latitudes, it witnesses large temperature and climatic
variations throughout the year.
Frigid Zone: 66½°- 90° in both Northern and Southern Hemisphere
▪ These areas are also known as the “Polar Regions of the Earth”.
▪ This zone is farthest from the Equator

Effects of Earth’s Revolution (Equinox & Solstice)

• Change of seasons
• Climatic variations across the earth
• The revolution of the earth gives the impression that the sun is moving north and south of the
equator.
• On June 21, the Tropic of Cancer faces the sun. This is known as the summer solstice. It is the
longest day
in the Northern Hemisphere and longest night in the Southern hemisphere.
• On December 22, the Tropic of Capricorn faces the sun. This is known as the winter solstice. It is
the longest day
in the Southern Hemisphere and longest night in the Northern hemisphere
 Longitude/Meridian
Longitude is the angular distance measured in degrees along the equator east or west of the Prime
Meridian
• Major lines of Longitude
• Prime Meridian - 0°
• International Date Line - 180°
• Time difference between 2 longitudes/1°= 4 minutes
• 15° longitude = 1 hour
• 1´ longitude = 4 seconds
• GMT – Greenwich Mean Time (at 0° longitude)
• IST – Indian Standard Time (at 82°30´ longitude,
Allahabad/Prayagraj)
• Time difference between GMT & IST = 5 hours 30
mins
• Difference between any longitude and IST =
longitudinal difference × 4 min
• Kolkata longitude = 88°30´E
Longitudinal difference (KLT-IST) = 88°30´- 82°30´ = 6°
Time difference between IST and KLT = 6°×4 min = 24 min

Antipode
• Two places diametrically opposite to each other
Find out the antipode of a place at 22° 50´N and 88° 30´E
Ans: Latitude ---- 22° 50´S and
Longitude ----- 180 °- 88° 30´ = 91° 30´W
What is Climate?
• Climate is the average weather in a given area over a longer period of time.
• India is considered a country with Tropical Monsoon Climate
Factors controlling local weather
• Temperature
• Air pressure
• Humidity
• Cloud amount
• Rainfall
• Wind direction and velocity

Weather Climate

Weather is a short-term change in the atmosphere. It is long term pattern of weather in a particular area or

Time period - minutes to months It is the average atmospheric conditions of a particular

region over a considerable time period usually taken
over 30- 35 years

It includes sunshine, rain, cloud cover, winds, hail, Includes the average temperature and rainfall pattern in
snow, sleet etc different seasons, atmospheric pressure

wind direction , wind speed

Factors Related To Location And Relief

Latitude – The Tropic of Cancer passes through the middle of the country from the Rann of Kachchh in
the west to Mizoram in the east.
• Almost half of the country lying south of the Tropic of Cancer lies in the Tropical zone and the
northern part of India lies in the sub-tropical and temperate zone.
 • The tropical zone is nearer to the equator and therefore experiences high temperatures
throughout the year with a small daily and annual range.
• The area north of the tropic of cancer being away from the equator experiences an extreme climate with a
high daily and annual range of temperature.

The Himalayan Mountains – The lofty Himalayan mountains in the north act as an effective climate divide.

• These mountains provide a shield against the cold northern winds which originate near the Arctic Circle and
blow across central and eastern Asia.

• It is because of these mountains that this subcontinent experiences comparatively milder winters as
compared to Central Asia.

• These mountains also trap the monsoon winds forcing them to shed their moisture within the subcontinent.

Distribution of land and water

• India is surrounded by water bodies on three sides in the south and is girdled by a high and continuous
mountain wall in the north.

• Land heats up and cools down quickly as compared to water.

• This differential heating creates different air pressure zones in different seasons in and around the
subcontinent.

• This difference in air pressure causes a reversal in the direction of monsoon winds.

Distance from the sea

• The sea exerts a moderate influence on climate.

• As the distance from the sea increases, its moderating influence decreases and such regions have extreme
weather conditions.

• This condition is known as continentality i.e, very hot summers and very cold winters.

Altitude

• The places in the mountains are cooler than the places on the plains because with the increase in height
temperature decreases.

• Though Agra and Darjeeling are located at the same latitude, the temperature in January in Agra is
16℃ whereas it is only 4℃ in Darjeeling.

Relief

• The physiography or relief of India also affects the temperature, air pressure, direction and speed of the
wind and, the amount and distribution of rainfall.

• The windward sides of Western Ghats and Assam receive high rainfall during June and September whereas
the southern plateau remains dry due to its leeward situation along the Western Ghats.

Factors related to global air pressure and wind

1. Distribution of air pressure and winds on the surface of the earth.

2. Upper air circulation caused by factors controlling global weather and the inflow of different air masses and
jet streams.
 3. The inflow of western cyclones generally known as disturbances during the winter season and tropical
depression during the southwest monsoon period into India, creating weather conditions favourable to
rainfall

Coriolis Force
• The direction of surface winds is usually controlled by the pressure gradient and rotation of the
earth.
• The Coriolis force is generated from the center of the globe due to rotation of the earth along its
axis for which the winds are deflected.
• The force which deflects the direction of the wind is called deflection force or Coriolis force named
after the famous scientist [Link].
• Because of Coriolis force all the winds are deflected to their right in the northern hemisphere while
they are deflected to their left in the southern hemisphere with respect to the rotation
earth.(Ferrel’s Law)
• This is why winds blow counter-clockwise around the center of low pressure in the northern
hemisphere, while they blow clockwise in the southern hemisphere.
 Wind System

Trade Wind

Regular/Permanent
Westerlies
Winds

Easterlies

Cyclone

Irregular Winds

Anticyclone

Wind System

Hot Winds

Local Winds

Cold Winds

Sea Breeze

Periodical/Seasonal
Land Breeze
Winds

Monsoon
Pressure belts & Planetary Winds
Wind blows from High Pressure to Low Pressure
Total number of pressure belts – 7
Number of Low Pressure belts – 3
Number of High Pressure belts – 4

Trade Winds
• These are permanent winds flowing from east-to-west.
• It flows in the Earth’s equatorial region (between 0° to
30°N and 30°S latitudes).

Westerlies
• These are prevailing winds that flow from the west towards the east.
• It flows in the Earth’s middle latitudes between 30° and 60° N and S latitudes.
• Also called as anti-trades, these winds originate from the sub-tropical high-pressure and trend
towards the sub- polar LP belt and steer extratropical cyclones in this general manner.

Easterlies
• It is a prevailing wind blowing from the east, in the polar regions from Polar HP belt to Sub-polar
low-pressure belt. (60° to 90°N and S latitudes).

Horse Latitude
• Horse Latitude is at 30°N and 30°S
• In this region of the subtropics, winds diverge and either flow toward the poles (known as the
prevailing westerlies) or toward the equator (known as the trade winds). They are also known as
subtropical ridges, or highs. It is a high-pressure area at the divergence of trade winds and the
westerlies.
• These are regions of subtropical known for calm winds, sunny skies, and little or no precipitation. or
• According to legend, the term comes from ships sailing to the New World that would often become
stalled for days or even weeks when they encountered areas of high pressure and calm winds.
Many of these ships carried horses to the Americas as part of their cargo. Unable to sail and
resupply due to lack of wind, crews often ran out of drinking water. To conserve scarce water,
sailors on these ships would sometimes throw the horses they were transporting overboard. Thus,
the phrase 'horse latitudes' was born. o precipitation.
• Mainly 30°N is known as Horse Latitude because major landmasses are there in the Northern
Hemisphere.
 ITCZ- Inter-tropical Convergence Zone
• The Inter Tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ,) is a broad trough of low pressure in equatorial
latitudes.
• This is where the northeast and the southeast trade winds converge.
• The common name for ITCZ is Doldrums
• 0° to 5°N and 5°S/0° to 10°N and 10°S
• Doldrum is a calm belt
• This convergence zone lies more or less parallel to the equator but moves north or south with the
apparent movement of the sun.

IRREGULAR WIND SYSTEM

Cyclone Anticyclone

Found in Low Pressure Zone Found in High Pressure Zone

Takes place in Summer/late summer Season Takes place in throughout the year or winter
Season

Diameter – 200-500 miles Diameter – 500-1000 miles

Causes Thunder Storms Causes Clear Sky

Energy Source : Energy fluxes from warm Energy Source : Horizontal temperature
ocean contrast
 Cyclone Anticyclone

Wind movement anti-clockwise in Northern Wind movement clockwise in the Northern

Hemisphere, and opposite in the Southern Hemisphere and opposite in the Southern
Hemisphere Hemisphere

Hot wind near the center and cold wind in the Cold wind near the center and hot wind in the
outer part outer part

Causes and effect of centripetal force Causes and effects of centrifugal force

Moves from East to West Moves from West to East

Far away from Jet Stream disturbances Close to Jet Stream Disturbances

The center of the cyclone is called the “Eye of the Cyclone” It is a calm zone

Name of Cyclone Location

Tornado Mississippi valley USA

Typhoon South-China Sea

Hurricane West-Indies

Willy Willy Australia

Harris & Catarina USA, Mexico

Sandy, Rita USA

 Name of Cyclone Location

Super Cyclone East Coast of India (Odisha)

Cyclone Both 24 Parganas/South Bengal

Local Winds (Hot)

Name Location

Chinook (Snow Eater) USA and Canada

Foehn Norrthen slopes of Alps

Khamsin Egypt

Sirocco (Dust Laden) Sahara

Elephanta Kerala

Harmattan (Doctor’s wind) West Africa

Ghibli Libya

Zonda Argentina

Yoma Japan

Simoom Arabian Desert

Samoon Iran and Iraq

Brickfielder Australia

Loo Rajasthan,Gujarat,Haryana,U.P., M.P. (Geographically Not found in

WB)

Aandhi (Dust Storm) Western Part of Insia (M.P., Punjab, Delhi)

Local Winds (Cold)
Name Location

Mistral France and Spain

Levanter Spain

Bora Adriatic Sea (Near Italy)

Norte Central America in Winter

Blizzard Canada & USA

Purga Russia

Pampero Pampas Region of South America

Punas Andes Region

Papagayo Mexico
Wind System - Periodical Wind

Sea Breeze Land Breeze

Takes place during daytime Takes place during night time

Land heats up quickly as Land cools down quickly as

compared to sea compared to sea

Low pressure on land and high Low pressure on sea and high
pressure on sea pressure on land

Wind blows from Sea to land Wind blows from land to sea
Wind System - Periodical Wind – Monsoon
Onset of the South-West Monsoon
• The location of ITCZ shifts north and south of the equator with the apparent movement of the Sun.
• During the month of June, the sun shines
vertically over the Tropic of Cancer and
the ITCZ shifts northwards.
• The southeast trade winds of the Southern
Hemisphere cross the equator and start
blowing in southwest to northeast direction
under the influence of Coriolis force.
• These winds collect moisture as they travel
over the warm Indian Ocean.
• Winds move into India from the high pressure
zones at the sea as monsoon winds
• In the month of July, the ITCZ shifts to 20°-25°
N latitude and is located in the Indo-Gangetic
Plain and the south-west monsoons blow from
the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal. The
ITCZ in this position is often called
the Monsoon Trough.
• Indian Monsoon known as – SW Monsoon
• It has 2 branches – Arabian Sea Branch and Bay of Bengal Branch
• The SW Monsoon Wind hence is actually part of SE Trade Wind
• Duration of SW Monsoon - 100-120 days (June – September)
•

Indian Monsoon
• On 1st June SW Monsoon flows towards the Western Ghats and causes heavy rainfall on the
western side of the plateau.
• Heavy rainfall occurs in the state of Kerala. Hence SW Monsoon enters Kerala on 1 st June and is the
1st Indian State to receive monsoon. (Arabian sea Branch)
• The Bay of Bengal Branch moves northward and causes rainfall.
• On 20th/21st May the Bay of Bengal Branch gets obstructed by the Saddle peak in Andaman and
Nicobar Islands and causes heavy rainfall.
• Thus Andaman & Nicobar is 1st to receive monsoon in India.
 • It reaches West Bengal and after getting obstructed by the northern mountains causes rainfall.
• Hence Monsoon enters West Bengal on 8th June.
• Hence in West Bengal rainfall occurs due to SW Monsoon (Bay of Bengal Branch) (75%-80%)

Retreating Monsoon
• On 23rd September due to Autumnal Equinox there is LP near Equator and HP in Northern India
• Wind blows from NE towards the equator
• Hence this wind is known as NE Monsoon or Retreating Monsoon
• It happens during winter season in India
• NE winds are dry winds due to absence of moisture
• One branch of the NE Monsoon passes trough the gap of the Eastern Ghat, takes up moisture from
the Bay of Bengal, again enters India near Tamil Nadu, gets obstructed by the eastern side of the
Eastern Ghat and causes heavy rainfall in Tamil Nadu
• Hence TN receives rain 2 times a year/ receives winter rainfall due to NE Monsoon

Other Facts
• Though Rajasthan has both hills and water vapour rich wind but it does not receive rainfall
• This is because the flow of the SW monsoon is parallel to the Aravalli range
• Other than TN another state that receives rainfall in winter is Punjab
• This is not due to NE Monsoon but due to Western Disturbance
• The winds from NE Monsoon and Western Disturbance together forms a cyclonic condition near
Punjab and hence it receives rainfall during winter

• The Western Disturbance is related to the Mediterranean Sea

Rainfall
• Precipitation : Precipitation refers to any liquid or frozen
water that starts in the atmosphere and descends back to
the Earth's surface.
• Rainfall - If precipitation occurs in the form of water, it is
called rain.
 • Hence all rainfall is part of precipitation but all
precipitation is not rainfall.
• Condensation : Condensation is the process where
water vapour becomes liquid
• Cloud : A cloud is made of water drops or ice
crystals floating in the sky.

Types of Rainfall (On the basis of Origin)

Convectional*

Frontal**

Orographic ***

Convectional Rainfall
• The air on getting heated becomes light
and rises in convection currents.
• As the air rises, it expands and drops the
temperature and subsequently,
condensation takes place and cumulus
clouds are formed.
• Heavy rainfall with lightning and
thunder takes place which does not last
long (short duration)
• This type of rainfall generally takes
place in the equatorial and internal
parts of the continents, predominantly
in the northern hemisphere.
• The rainfall also known as equatorial rainfall which is usually associated with hail and graupel
• Rainfall is highly localized and is associated with minimum cloudiness and occurs mainly during
summer.
• Extension : 0°-10° N/S
 4 o clock rain
• In equatorial regions, convectional rain occurs almost daily in the afternoons. It generally occurs at
4 pm that is why it is known as 4o Clock Rain Commonly occurs in the Congo Basin, Amazon Basin
and the islands of South-East Asia.
• In India Andaman and Nicobar receives Convectional as well as Orographic Rainfall

Orographic Rainfall
• Orographic means relief
• When the saturated air mass comes
across a mountain, it is forced to
rise.
• The rising air expands, exchange of
latent heat takes place and
eventually, the temperature falls,
and the moisture gets condensed.
• The principal characteristic of this
type of rain is that the windward
slopes get more rainfall.
• After giving rain on the windward
side, when these winds reach the other slope, they drop away, and their temperature increases.
Then their ability to take in moisture increases and hence, these leeward slopes remain dry and
rainless.
• The region situated on the leeward side is known as the rain-shadow area.
• In India the perfect rainshadow region is Shillong
• Mahabaleswar, situated on the Western Ghats receives more than 600 cm o rainfall, whereas Pune
lying in the rainshadow area receives only 70 cm of rainfall.
• In India Orographic Rainfall is most common.
Cyclonic or Frontal Rainfall
Cyclonic activity causes cyclonic rain and it occurs along the fronts of the cyclone.
• When two masses of air of unlike density,
temperature, and humidity meet then it is
formed.
• The layer that separates them is known as
the front.
• A warm front and the cold front are the
two parts of the front.
• At the warm front, the warm lighter wind
increases slightly over the heavier cold air.
• As the warm air rises, it cools, and the
moisture present in it condenses to form
clouds
• This rain falls gradually for a few hours to a few days.
• In India frontal rainfall occurs in Punjab and Haryana due to convergences of cold wind from
western disturbance and warm NE Monsoon winds

Types of Rainfall based on Intensity

• The types of rainfall based on intensity can be classified as:
1. Light rain – Rate of rain varies between 0 to 2.5 millimeters
2. Moderate rain – Rate of rain varies between 2.6 millimeters to 7.6 millimeters
3. Heavy rain – Rate of rain is beyond 7.6 millimeters
• The average rainfall in India is 118 cm according to annual data from the Meteorological
Department. The following is the distribution of rainfall in India:
• Extreme Precipitation regions: Northeastern regions and the windward side of the Western ghats
experience an average of 400 cm of annual rainfall. Areas like Assam, Meghalaya, Arunachal
Pradesh and hilly tracts of the Western Ghats are host to tropical rainforests. The highest rainfall in
India and the world is recorded at
Mawsynram village of Meghalaya.
• Heavy Precipitation regions: The
regions experiencing 200-300 cm
rainfall belong to this zone. Most of
Eastern India is covered under this
zone. These regions are also home
to tropical rainforests. States such
as West Bengal, Tripura, Nagaland,
Manipur, Odisha and Bihar are
included in this zone. Most of the
areas in the sub-Himalayan belt
also fall under this zone.
• Moderate Precipitation regions:
Areas which experience 100 to 200
cm of rainfall include parts of West
Bengal, Bihar, Odisha, Madhya
Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, and the
leeward side of the Western Ghats.
Wet Deciduous forests comprise
the most common natural
vegetation of these regions.
• Scanty Precipitation regions: Areas having 50 to 100 cm of rainfall consisting of parts of
Maharashtra, Gujarat, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana
and Western Uttar Pradesh. Tropical Grasslands, Savannah and Dry Deciduous forests are
commonly found in these areas.
• Desert and Semi-desert Regions: These are the areas that receive below 50 cm of rainfall. The
states of Rajasthan, Gujarat and adjacent areas are classified as desert or semi-desert based on the
amount of rainfall they receive. Some parts of Jammu & Kashmir such as the Ladakh plateau are
also included in this zone as cold deserts. The vegetation consists of hardy species which can
withstand extended droughts. Some areas like parts of Gujarat have Savannah vegetation in the
wetter regions. The lowest rainfall in India has been recorded in Ruyli village, Rajasthan.
• Average rainfall in India : 118 cm
• Average rainfall in West Bengal (tropical wet-dry climate): 160-175 cm
• In India maximum rainfall occurs in Mausinram
• In West Bengal maximum rainfall occurs in Buxa-Duars/Alipurduar
• Duration of NE Monsoon : September-December
• Northern Limit of Monsoon : NLM (northern most boundary of India up to which monsoon rains
have advanced on any given day)
 • Rain shadow area of Cherapunji : Shillong
• Rain shadow area of Western Ghat : Deccan
• Pre-monsoon rainfall at Kerala : Mango Shower
• Pre Monsoon rainfall at Karnataka : Coffee shower/ Cherry Blossoms
• Pre Monsoon Rainfall in Assam : Tea shower

MONEX
• The Monsoon Experiment, is an organization which investigates about the irregularity of monsoon
• Head Quarter : Geneva
• Asian HQ: Kuala Lampur
• Indian HQ : Mumbai
• Total Member : 144 countries

S-Monex:

• The Summer Monsoon Experiment was conducted over the Indian Ocean and adjacent land areas
from May through August 1979
• S-Monex was a follow-on experiment to the Winter Monex (W-Monex) conducted in the South
China Sea, December 1978 through March 1979
• Three consecutive experiments or phases were conducted in S-Monex
• Saudi Arabia Experiment based on Dahran (Early May 1979)
• Arabian Sea Experiment based in Bombay (mid May to Late June 1979
• Bay of Bengal Experiment based in Calcutta) July and August 1979)
ENSO PHENOMENON

ENSO - NEUTRAL PHASE

• The Pacific Ocean Near Equator Gets Great Amount Of Sun Rays And Heats Up The Pacific Water
• Tropical Easterlies Or Trade Winds Blow From East To West In The Northern Hemisphere
• The Trade Winds Pushes The Warm Ocean Current Towards The Asian Side In Western Pacific.
• This Makes The Western Pacific Ocean Warm And It Increases The Air Temperature In This Region.
• This Is Followed By Convection Of Air , Cloud Formation And Rainfall (Convectional Rain)
• Now The dry Upper Air Then Moves Towards East And After Getting Cold Sinks In The Eastern
Pacific ( Equador, Peru)
• This Air Circulation Is Known as Walker Circulation
• No extreme conditions occur in this phase
El Nino – Warm Ocean Current
• El Nino means ‘little boy’ or ‘Christ child’ in Spanish
• Effects more on the Eastern Pacific
• The trade winds pushes the warm ocean current towards the west
• Sometimes in few months in a year the trade winds are weak
• In such cases the warm ocean current does not get any kind of push
• Hence the warm pool of ocean water slowly moves towards the eastern pacific
• As this happens, the cold water in the eastern pacific being dense settles down in the deep ocean
whereas the warm ocean current resides near the surface of the eastern Pacific Ocean
• Walker circulation is broken into two parts
• The ocean temperature near eastern part of Australia is cool and there is no rain, though the inland
parts of Australia experiences severe drought condition
• In the American continent near the Peruvian coast this condition brings extreme rainfall and flood
conditions.
La Nina- Cold Ocean Current
• La Nina means ‘little girl’ in Spanish and is also known as El Viejo or ‘cold event’
• Effects are more on the western Pacific
• The trade winds are strong in this phase
• As the easterly wind moves from east to west and it pushes the warn ocean water towards the
western pacific.
• The cold water from the deep ocean immediately comes up at the surface on the eastern pacific
• This is called thermocline – rising path of water temperature
• The rest of the process is same that we saw in the neutral phase
• Western pacific countries like Australia, New Zealand , Indonesia receives heavy rain and storm
• The effects of La Nina is more on these countries than El nino
• La Nina causes drought in Peru and Ecuador, heavy floods in Australia, high temperatures in
Western Pacific, Indian Ocean, off the Somalian coast and good monsoon rains in India. A La Nina is
actually beneficial for the Indian monsoon.
• Generally, El Nino and La Nina occur every 4 – 5 years. El Nino is more frequent than La Nina.
Typically, the episodes last for nine to twelve months
Effects of El Nino and La Nina on India
• In a normal monsoon year (without El Nino), the pressure distribution is as follows:
1. The coast of Peru in South America has a higher pressure than the region near northern Australia
and South East Asia.
2. The Indian Ocean is warmer than the adjoining oceans and so, has relatively lower pressure. Hence,
moisture-laden winds move from near the western Pacific to the Indian Ocean.
3. The pressure on the landmass of India is lower than on the Indian Ocean, and so, the moisture-
laden winds move further from the ocean to the lands.
• If this normal pressure distribution is affected for some reason, the monsoons are affected.

Effects of El Nino on India

• The cool surface water off the Peruvian coast goes warm because of El Nino.
• When the water is warm, the normal trade winds get lost or reverse their direction.
• Hence, the flow of moisture-laden winds is directed towards the coast of Peru from the western
Pacific (the region near northern Australia and South East Asia).
 • This causes heavy rains in Peru during the El Nino years robbing the Indian subcontinent of its
normal monsoon rains.
• The larger the temperature and
pressure difference, the larger the
rainfall shortage in India.
• Since 1950, out of the 13 droughts
that India faced, 10 have been
during El Nino years and one in a
La Nina year.
• This is because in general, an El
Nino means lesser than average
rains for India.
• Indian agriculture is heavily
dependent on the monsoons and because of this, lesser rainfall during the monsoons generally
translates to below-average crop yields.

Köppen’s Classification of India Climate

• In 1884 Dr. Wladimir Peter Köppen of
Russia classified Indian climate into 9
types
• He recognized a close relationship
between the distribution of vegetation
and climate

Basis of Classification
• Annual and monthly average
temperature
• Annual and monthly average rainfall
• Native vegetation
Climatic Regions of India after Köppen
Climatic Type Regions Annual Rainfall

Amw • Western Coastal region, • Over 300 cm

south of Mumbai
(Monsoon type with short
• Malabar and Konkan
dry winter season)
coast
• Western slope of Goa and
Western Ghats,
• Andaman and Nicobar
Islands

As • Coromandel coast • 75-100 cm

(Monsoon type with dry • Coastal Tamil Nadu and • Receives rain from
adjoining areas of Andhra Retreating monsoon
season in high sun period or
Pradesh
dry summer) • Wet winter, dry
summers

Aw • Most parts of peninsular • 75cm

plateau (regions located
(Tropical Savannah Type) south of Tropic of Cancer)
except Coromandel and
Malabar coastal strips

BShw • Some rain shadow areas • 12 – 25 cm

of Western Ghats
(Semi-arid Steppe type) • Rainfall deficit in
• Large parts of Rajasthan Winter
and
• Western half of Haryana
and Gujarat

BWhw • Most of Western • Less than 12 cm

Rajasthan
(Hot Desert Type)

Cwg • Most parts of Ganga Plain • 100-200 cm

(Monsoon type with dry • Eastern Rajasthan • Rainfall occurs mainly

in the summers
winters) • Assam
• Winters are dry
• Malwa plateau
 Climatic Type Regions Annual Rainfall

Dfc • Sikkim • 200 cm

(Cold, Humid winter type • Arunachal Pradesh

with shorter summer) • Parts of Assam

Et • Mountain areas of • Rainfall varies from

Uttarakhand year to year
(Tundra Type)
• Average temperature
varies from 0-10°C

E • Higher areas of Jammu & • Precipitation occurs in

Kashmir the form of snow
(Polar Type)
• Higher areas of Himachal
Pradesh
• Temperature of warmest
month varies from 0-10°C