CLIMATE

WEATHER
 The state of the atmosphere over an area at any point of
time.
 Fluctuate very often even within a day.
 Ex: Cloudy, windy, rainy
CLIMATE
 Sum of total of weather conditions and variations
over a large area for a long period of time.
 Common pattern over a few weeks or months or
years
 Hot and Dry, Cold, Wet and dry.
7 major climatic region of the world
ELEMENTS OF WEATHER AND
CLIMATE

 Temperature
 Atmospheric pressure
 Wind
 Humidity
 Precipitation
On the basis of monthly atmospheric
conditions, the year is divided into seasons
 Winter
 Summer
 Rainy seasons.
CLIMATE OF INDIA
 The climate of India is described as the ‘monsoon’
 MONSOON – Shift in wind causes high rainfall .
 Unity in the general pattern we can see slight
regional variations in climatic conditions within the
country.
 TEMPERATURE
 In summer, the mercury touches 50°C
in some parts of the Rajasthan desert
 20°C in Pahalgam in Jammu and
Kashmir.
 On a winter night, temperature at
Drass in Jammu and Kashmir - as low
as minus 45°C.
 Thiruvananthapuram - a temperature
of 22°C.
RAINFALL
 Variations in the
 Form
 types
 amount
 seasonal distribution.
 Precipitation - snowfall in the upper parts of himalayas.
 The annual precipitation - over 400 cm in meghalaya to
less than 10 cm in ladakh and western rajasthan
YOUR TIME!!!
 Why the houses in Rajasthan have thick walls
and flat roofs?
 Why is it that the houses in the Tarai region and
in Goa and Mangalore have sloping roofs?
 Why houses in Assam are built on stilts?
 Most part of the country receive rainfall from June to
September.
 Tamil Nadu coast gets a large portion of its rain during
October and November.
 In general, coastal areas experience less contrasts in
temperature conditions. Seasonal contrasts are more in the
interior of the country.
 There is decrease in rainfall generally from east to west in
the Northern Plains.
 These variations have given rise to variety in lives of
people –food they eat, the clothes they wear and the kind
of houses they live in.
https://youtu.be/yv8avoKjz1M
?si=PIb_4zKrFra9f3wX
CLIMATIC CONTROLS
 Latitude,
 Altitude,
 Pressure and wind system,
 Distance from the sea (continentality),
 Ocean currents and
 Relief features.
LATITUDE
 The amount of solar energy received varies
according to latitude.
 Near equator – direct sunray more temperature.
 Towards poles – slanting sunray less temperature.
ALTITUDE
 Higher altitudes, the atmosphere becomes less
dense and temperature decreases.
 The hills are therefore cooler during summers.
PRESSURE AND WIND
 The pressure and wind system of any area depend
on the latitude and altitude of the place.
 It influences the temperature and rainfall pattern.
Distance from the sea
 The sea exerts a moderating influence on climate:
 Moderating – sea and land breeze.
 As the distance from the sea increases, its
moderating influence decreases and the people
experience extreme weather conditions.
 This condition is known as continentality (i.e. very
hot during summers and very cold during winters).
OCEAN CURRENTS
 Ocean currents along with onshore winds affect
the climate of the coastal areas.
 Coastal area with warm or cold currents flowing
from poles towards equator or vice versa- will be
warmed or cooled .
 RELIEF
 Plays a major role in
determining the climate of a
place.
 High mountains act as barriers
for cold or hot winds; they may
also cause precipitation if they
are high enough and lie in the
path of rain-bearing winds.
 The leeward side of mountains
remains relatively dry.
 Most desert on leeward side.
https://youtu.be/TfsSzqLh6So?
si=Rct62xzqr1gVUlB7
Factors Affecting Climate In India
 Latitude,
 Altitude,
 Pressure and wind system,
Your time!!!!
 Which latitude passes through India?
 What type of climate India has?
 Differentiate tropical and sub tropical climate.
1.Which latitude passes through India?
 Tropic of cancer

2.What type of climate India has?

 Tropical and sub tropical

3.Differentiate tropical and sub tropical climate.

 an average temperature in every month of above 18°C.
 hot and humid summers and mild to cold winters
Latitude
 India’s climate has characteristics of tropical as
well as subtropical climates.
 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-tropics.
Altitude:
 India has mountains to the north, which have an average
height of about 6,000 metres.
 India also has a vast coastal area where the maximum
elevation is about 30 metres.
 The Himalayas prevent the cold winds from Central
Asia from entering the subcontinent.
 It is because of these mountains that this subcontinent
experiences comparatively milder winters as compared
to central Asia.
Pressure and Winds
 Pressure and surface winds
 Upper air circulation
 Western cyclonic disturbance and tropical cycle.
Pressure and Winds
 India lies - north easterly winds.
 Originate - subtropical high-pressure belt of the
northern hemisphere.
 Blow southwards, get deflected to the right due to the
Coriolis force, and move towards the equatorial low-
pressure area.
 Carry little moisture and bring little or no rain.
Coriolis force:
 An apparent force caused
by the earth’s rotation.
The Coriolis force is
responsible for deflecting
winds towards the right in
the northern hemisphere
and towards the left in the
southern hemisphere.
This is also known as
‘Ferrel’s Law’.
India should have been an arid
land, but it is not so. Why?
Pressure and Winds
 The pressure and wind conditions 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 north western India.
 Complete reversal of the direction of winds during
summer.
Pressure and Winds
 Air moves from the high-pressure area over the
southern Indian Ocean, in a south-easterly direction,
crosses the equator, and turns right towards the low-
pressure areas over the Indian subcontinent.
 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.
SEASONS
 The monsoon type of climate
 The weather conditions greatly change from one
season to the other.
 These changes are particularly noticeable in the
interior parts of the country.
 The coastal areas do not experience much
variation in temperature though there is variation
in rainfall pattern.
SEASONS
 Four main seasons can be identified in India –
 The cold weather season,
 The hot weather season,
 The advancing monsoon and
 The retreating monsoon
The Cold Weather Season (Winter)
 Begins from mid November in northern India and stays
till February.
 December and January are the coldest months in the
northern part of India.
 The temperature decreases from south to the north.
 The average temperature of Chennai, on the eastern
coast, is between 24°– 25° Celsius, while in the northern
plains, it ranges between 10°C and 15° Celsius.
 Days are warm and nights are cold.
The Cold Weather Season (Winter)
 Frost is common in the north and the higher slopes
of the Himalayas experience snowfall.
 During this season, the northeast trade winds
prevail over the country.
 They blow from land to sea and hence, for most
part of the country, it is a dry season.
 Some amount of rainfall occurs on the Tamil Nadu
coast from these winds as, here they blow from sea
to land.
The Cold Weather Season (Winter)
 In the northern part of the country, a feeble high-pressure
region develops, with light winds moving outwards from
this area.
 Influenced by the relief, these winds blow through the
Ganga valley from the west and the northwest.
 The weather is normally marked by clear sky, low
temperatures and low humidity and feeble, variable winds.
 A characteristic feature of the cold weather season over
the northern plains is the inflow of cyclonic disturbances
from the west and the northwest.
The Cold Weather Season (Winter)
 These low-pressure systems, originate over the
Mediterranean Sea and western Asia and move
into India, along with the westerly flow.
 They cause the much-needed winter rains over the
plains and snowfall in the mountains.
 the total amount of winter rainfall - as ‘mahawat’
is small, - the cultivation of ‘rabi’ crops.
https://youtu.be/sNwbpNwl4T
8?si=ij8_wSiiAunItBwN
https://youtu.be/mWNx7SOhH
TI?si=6HoMu-GBSgkbcYlm
The Hot Weather Season (Summer)
 Due to the apparent northward movement of the
sun, the global heat belt shifts northwards.
 As such, from March to May, it is hot weather
season in India.
 The influence of the shifting of the heat belt can be
seen clearly from temperature recordings taken
during MarchMay at different latitudes.
The Hot Weather Season (Summer)
 In March, the highest temperature is about 38° Celsius,
recorded on the Deccan plateau.
 In April, temperatures in Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh
are around 42° Celsius.
 In May, temperature of 45° Celsius is common in the
north western parts of the country.
 In peninsular India, temperatures remain lower due to
the moderating influence of the oceans.
 The summer months experience rising temperature and
falling air pressure in the northern part of the country.
The Hot Weather Season (Summer)
 Towards the end of May, an elongated low-pressure
area develops in the region extending from the Thar
Desert in the northwest to Patna and Chotanagpur
plateau in the east and southeast.
 Circulation of air begins to set in around this trough.
 A striking feature of the hot weather season is the
‘loo’. These are strong, gusty, hot, dry winds blowing
during the day over the north and northwestern India.
The Hot Weather Season (Summer)
 Sometimes they even continue until late in the evening.
Direct exposure to these winds may even prove to be
fatal.
 Dust storms are very common during the month of
May in northern India.
 These storms bring temporary relief as they lower the
temperature and may bring light rain and cool breeze.
This is also the season for localised thunderstorms,
associated with violent winds, torrential downpours,
often accompanied by hail
The Hot Weather Season (Summer)
. In West Bengal, these storms are known as the ‘Kaal
Baisakhi’.
 Towards the close of the summer season, pre-monsoon
showers are common especially, in Kerala and
Karnataka.
 They help in the early ripening of mangoes, and are
often referred to as ‘mango showers’.
The advancing monsoon
 By early June, the low-pressure condition over the
northern plains intensifies.
 It attracts, the trade winds of the southern hemisphere.
These south-east trade winds originate over the warm
subtropical areas of the southern oceans.
 They cross the equator and blow in a southwesterly
direction entering the Indian peninsula as the south-
west monsoon.
 As these winds blow over warm oceans, they bring
abundant moisture to the subcontinent..
The advancing monsoon
 These winds are strong and blow at an average velocity
of 30 km per hour.
 With the exception of the extreme north-west, the
monsoon winds cover the country in about a month.
 The inflow of the south-west monsoon into India brings
about a total change in the weather.
 Early in the season, the windward side of the Western
Ghats receives very heavy rainfall, more than 250 cm.
The advancing monsoon
 The Deccan Plateau and parts of Madhya Pradesh also
receive some amount of rain in spite of lying in the rain
shadow area.
 Mawsynram in the southern ranges of the Khasi Hills
receives the highest average rainfall in the world.
 Rainfall in the Ganga valley decreases from the east to
the west. Rajasthan and parts of Gujarat get scanty
rainfall.
The advancing monsoon
 Another phenomenon associated with the monsoon is
its tendency to have ‘breaks’ in rainfall.
 Thus, it has wet and dry spells.
 Monsoon rains take place only for a few days at a time.
 They are interspersed with rainless intervals. These
breaks in monsoon are related to the movement of the
monsoon trough.
The advancing monsoon
 For various reasons, the trough and its axis keep on
moving northward or southward, which determines the
spatial distribution of rainfall.
 When the axis of the monsoon trough lies over the
plains, rainfall is good in these parts.
 On the other hand, whenever the axis shifts closer to
the Himalayas, there are longer dry spells in the plains,
and widespread rain occur in the mountainous
catchment areas of the Himalayan rivers
The advancing monsoon
 The heavy rainfall - their wake, devastating floods
causing damage to life and property in the plains.
 The frequency and intensity of tropical depressions too,
determine the amount and duration of monsoon rains.
 These depressions form at the head of the Bay of
Bengal and cross over to the mainland.
 The depressions follow the axis of the “monsoon trough
of low pressure”.
 The monsoon is known for its uncertainties.
The advancing monsoon
 The alternation of dry and wet spells vary in intensity,
frequency and duration.
 While it causes heavy floods in one part, it may be
responsible for droughts in the other.
 It is often irregular in its arrival and its retreat. Hence, it
sometimes disturbs the farming schedule of millions of
farmers all over the country
Retreating/Post Monsoons (The
Transition Season)
 During October-November, with the apparent
movement of the sun towards the south, the monsoon
trough or the low-pressure trough over the northern
plains becomes weaker.
 This is gradually replaced by a high-pressure system.
The south-west monsoon winds weaken and start
withdrawing gradually.
 By the beginning of October, the monsoon withdraws
from the Northern Plains.
Retreating/Post Monsoons (The
Transition Season)
 The months of October-November form a period of
transition from hot rainy season to dry winter
conditions. The retreat of the monsoon is marked by
clear skies and rise in temperature.
 While day temperatures are high, nights are cool and
pleasant. The land is still moist.
 Owing to the conditions of high temperature and
humidity, the weather becomes rather oppressive during
the day.
Retreating/Post Monsoons (The
Transition Season)
 This is commonly known as ‘October heat’. In the
second half of October, the mercury begins to fall
rapidly in northern India.
 The low-pressure conditions, over northwestern India,
get transferred to the Bay of Bengal by early
November.
 This shift is associated with the occurrence of cyclonic
depressions, which originate over the Andaman Sea.
 These cyclones generally cross the eastern coasts of
India cause heavy and widespread rain.
Retreating/Post Monsoons (The
Transition Season)
 These tropical cyclones are often very destructive.
 The thickly populated deltas of the Godavari, the
Krishna and the Kaveri are frequently struck by
cyclones, which cause great damage to life and
property.
 Sometimes, these cyclones arrive at the coasts of
Odisha, West Bengal and Bangladesh.
 The bulk of the rainfall of the Coromandel Coast is
derived from depressions and cyclones.