Indian Climate Flashcards
There are six major controls of the climate of
any place. They are:
Latitude, altitude,
pressure and wind system, distance from
the sea (continentality), ocean currents and
relief features
The Tropic of Cancer passes through the middle
of the country from t
The Rann of Kuchchh in the west to Mizoram in the eas
Coriolis force by
Ferells law
Subtropical westerly jet streams are located approximately
over
27°-30° north latitude
Over India, these jet streams blow
south of the Himalayas, all through the year except in
summer
An easterly jet stream, called the sub-tropical easterly jet stream blows over
peninsular India, approximately over 14°N during the summer months.
These are a narrow belt of high
altitude (above 12,000 m) westerly winds in the
troposphere.
jet streams
are weather
phenomena of the winter months brought in by the
westerly flow from the Mediterranean regio
The western cyclonic disturbances
Tropical cyclones occur during the monsoon as well as in October - November, and are part of the
easterly flow
is a broad trough of low pressure in equatorial
latitudes.
The Inter Tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ,)
The difference in pressure
over is computed to predict the
intensity of the monsoons
Tahiti (Pacific Ocean, 18°S/149°W) and
Darwin in northern Australia (Indian Ocean,
12°30’S/131°E)
it would mean below
average and late monsoons. A feature connected
with the SO is the El Nino
If pressure is negative
‘El Nino’ is a Spanish word
meaning ‘
the child’, and refers to the baby Christ,
as this current starts flowing during Christmas
Normally when the tropical eastern south Pacific
Ocean experiences high pressure,
the tropical eastern Indian Ocean experiences low pressure.
The Arabian Sea and the Bay
of Bengal branches of the monsoon merge over
the northwestern part of the Ganga plains
Delhi generally receives the monsoon showers
from
the Bay of Bengal branch by the end of
June
characteristic feature of the cold weather
season over the northern plains is the inflow of
cyclonic disturbances from the west and the
northwest
though the total amount of
winter rainfall locally known as ‘
mahawat
In West Bengal, Localised thunder storms are known as the
‘Kaal Baisakhi’.
Mawsynram in the southern ranges of the
Khasi Hills
breaks in monsoon are related to the
movement of the monsoon trough
By the beginning of October, the monsoon
withdraws f
rom the Northern Plains
The bulk of the rainfall of the Coromandel Coast is
derived from
depressions and cyclones.
Mawsynram, the wettest place on the earth is also reputed for
its
stalagmite and stalactite caves
Tura situated in the
Garo Hills of Meghalaya
generally indicates an advance in the arrival of these
cyclones disturbances.
increase in the prevailing night temperature
The easterly jet stream normally do not extend
to the north of 30o N latitude in the upper atmosphere
steers the tropical depressions into India.
The easterly jet stream
SW monsoon winds cross the Equator between
40°E and 60°E longitudes.
The shift in the position of the ITCZ is also
related to the phenomenon of the
withdrawal of the westerly jet stream from its position over the north Indian plain
is held responsible for the burst of the monsoon in India.
This easterly jet stream
The intensity of rainfall over the west coast of
India is, however, related to two factors
(i) The offshore meteorological conditions.
(ii) The position of the equatorial jet stream
along the eastern coast of Africa.
Mango Shower
Kerala and coastal areas of Karnataka
Blossom Shower :
coffee flowers blossom in Kerala and
nearby areas.
Nor Westers
‘Kalbaisakhi’, Bengal
and Assam,
In Assam, these storms are known as “Bardoli
Chheerha”.
Nor Westers; ‘Kalbaisakhi
Loo :
Hot, dry and oppressing winds blowing in the Northern plains from Punjab to Bihar with higher intensity between Delhi and Patna.
These breaks in rainfall are related to the
cyclonic depressions mainly formed at the head
of the Bay of Bengal, and their crossing
into the mainland.
By the, the centre of low pressure
is completely removed from the Peninsula
middle of December,
Monsoon with short dry season areas
West coast of India south of Goa
Monsoon with dry summer
Coromandel coast of Tamil Nadu
Tropical savannah
Most of the Peninsular plateaus, south of the Tropic of Cancer
Semi-arid steppe climate
North-western Gujarat, some parts of western Rajasthan and
Punjab
Hot desert
Extreme western Rajasthan
Monsoon with dry winter
Ganga plain, eastern Rajasthan, northern Madhya Pradesh, most of North-east India
Cold humid winter with short summer
Arunachal Pradesh
Polar type
Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand
