Climate (Chapter-4)

Tiruvananthapuram has equable climate?

- Chennai has more rains only after the fury of monsoon is over in most parts of the country?

- Jodhpur has a hot desert type of climate?

- Leh has moderate precipitation almost throughout the year?

- While in Delhi and Jodhpur most of the rain is confined to nearly three months, in

Tiruvanantapuram and Shillong it is almost nine months of the year?

In spite of these facts see carefully if there are strong evidences to conclude that the monsoons still provide a very strong framework lending overall climatic unity to the whole country.

Now find out:

(i) Why are Tiruvanantapuram and Shillong rainier in June than in July?

(ii) Why is July rainier in Mumbai than in Tiruvanantapuram?

(iii) Why are south-west monsoons less rainy in Chennai?

(iv) Why is Shillong rainier than Kolkata?

(v) Why is Kolkata rainier in July than in June unlike Shillong which is rainier in June than in July?

(vi) Why does Delhi receive more rain than Jodhpur?

Give an account of weather conditions and characteristics of the cold season.

Discuss the mechanism of monsoons.

Describe the regional variations in the climatic conditions of India with the help of suitable examples.

(i) Name two rainiest stations.

(ii) Name two driest stations.

(iii) Two stations with most equable climate.

(iv) Two stations with most extreme climate.

(v) Two stations most influenced by the Arabian branch of southwest monsoons.

(vi) Two stations most influenced by the Bay of Bengal branch of south-west monsoons.

(vii) Two stations influenced by both branches of the south-west monsoons

(viii) Two stations influenced by retreating and north-east monsoons.

(ix) Two stations receiving winter showers from the western disturbances.

(x) The two hottest stations in the months of

(a) February (b) April (c) May (d) June

Re-arrange the ten stations in two different sequences:

(i) According to their distance from the equator.

(ii) According to their altitude above mean sea-level.

In Table-I the average mean monthly temperatures and amounts of rainfall of ten representative stations have been given. It is for you to study on your own and convert them into 'temperature and rainfall' graphs. A glance at these visual representations will help you to grasp instantly the similarities and differences between them. One such graph (Figure 1) is already prepared for you. See if you can arrive at some broad generalisations about our diverse climatic conditions. We hope you are in for a great joy of learning. Do the following activities.

Figure 1: Temperature and Rainfall of Delhi

Give reasons as to why.

(i) Seasonal reversal of wind direction takes place over the Indian subcontinent?

(ii) The bulk of rainfall in India is concentrated over a few months.

(iii) The Tamil Nadu coast receives winter rainfall.

(iv) The delta region of the eastern coast is frequently struck by cyclones.

(v) Parts of Rajasthan, Gujarat and the leeward side of the Western Ghats are drought-prone.

Why does the rainfall decrease from the east to the west in Northern India?

Answer the following questions briefly.

(i) What are the controls affecting the climate of India?

(ii) Why does India have a monsoon type of climate?

(iii) Which part of India does experience the highest diurnal range of temperature and why?

(iv) Which winds account for rainfall along the Malabar Coast?

(v) What are jet streams and how do they affect the climate of India?

(vi) Define monsoons. What do you understand by "break" in monsoon?

(vii) Why is the monsoon considered a unifying bond?

Choose the right answer from the four alternatives given below.

(i) Which one of the following places receives the highest rainfall in the world?

(ii) The wind blowing in the Northern Plains in the summers is known as

(iii) Which one of the following causes rainfall during winters in north-western part of India?

(iv) Monsoon arrives in India approximately in