1.Describe five characteristics/features of hot weather season in India.
Ans. India experiences the hot weather season from the month of March to May.During this season, there is apparent Northward movement of the sun.The hot weather season has the following characteristics
(i) There is overall increase in temperature e.g. the temperature of Northern plains is between 42 – 45°C and in the Deccan plateau between 35 — 38°C.
(ii) An elongated low-pressure area develops from Thar Desert (in North-West) to Patna and Chotanagpur plateau (in East and South-East) towards the end of May. From this low-pressure belt, the circulation of air begins.
(iii) In the Northern and^North-Westem plain, there is occurrence of‘Loo’- strong, hot, dry wind.
(iv)In the Northern India, there is common occurrence of dust storm in May.
(v)There is also occurrence of localised thunderstorms associated with violent winds, torrential downpours, often accompanied by hailstorm at some places (e.g. West Bengal).
2.Describe various sources of rainfall other than monsoon that take place in India.
Ans. In India apart from monsoons, there are other sources of rainfall. These include
(i) Tropical cyclones bring heavy rainfall in Eastern coast of India.
(ii) Rainfall might occur for a brief time due to the formation of convective clouds, mosdy in interior landmass.
(iii) Local water bodies create an impact on the pressure and wind system through evaporation causing rains to occur.
(iv)Dust storms also reduce the temperature and bring cool breeze and light rainfall in Northern India.
(v)Western disturbances coming from the West cause rainfall in North and North-West of India during winter.
3.Study the table given above and answer the following questions.
- What type of climate does station A have? Why?
- What type of climate does station B have? Why?
Ans. (a) The station A lies North of Tropic of Cancer, so it is in sub-tropical zone. Due to its height from sea level, it is a highaltitude area. So, station A must have cold temperate climate. Here summer will be of very short duration and summer temperature would not be very high. The precipitation might occur in the form of snowfall on its higher areas and for other parts, it may be rainfall. Temperature is cold in winter and warm in summer.
(b) The station B lies South of Tropic of Cancer. Hence, it will have tropical climatic condition. Its height from sea level is also lesser than station A.The summer would be hot and rainy and of longer duration. In winter, it is dry and cold.
4.India has diverse climatic conditions”. Explain by giving two examples each of temperature and precipitation.
Or
“India has diverse climatic conditions.” Support this statement by giving three examples.
Or
Describe the regional variations in climatic conditions of India with the help of suitable examples.
Ans. Although there is an overall unity in the general climaticpatten in India, there are some perceptible regional variations in temperature and precipitation conditions.These variations are as under Regional variation in temperature conditions
(i) In summer, the mercury occasionally touches 50 °C in some parts of Rajasthan desert, whereas it may be around 20 °C in Pahalgam in Jammu and Kashmir.
(ii) On a winter night, temperature at Drass in Jammu and Kashmir may be as low as —45° C.Thiruvananthapuram, on the other hand, may have a temperature of 22°C.
(iii) Also there is a wide variation between day and night temperatures, e.g. In the Thar^desert the day temperature may rise of50°C and drop down to near 15°C the same night. On the other hand, there is hardly any difference in the day and night temperatures in the Andaman and Nicobar islands or in Kerala.
Regional variation in precipitation conditions
(i) The annual precipitation varies from over 400 cm in Meghalaya to less than 10 cm in Ladakh and Western Rajasthan.
(ii) Most parts of the country receive rainfall from June to September. But some parts like the Tamil Nadu coast gets a large portion of its rain during October and November.
(iii) While precipitation is mosdy in the form of snowfall in the upper parts of Himalayas, it rains over the rest of the country.
(iv)Coastal areas experience less contrasts in temperature conditions. Seasonal contrasts are more in the interior of the country.
(v)There is decrease in rainfall generally from East to West in the Northern plains.
Thus, it can be concluded that India has diverse climatic conditions.
5.Evaluate spread of monsoon over the Indian sub-continent from Kerala to Jammu and Kashmir.
Ans. There is wide variation of amount, type andduration of monsoon in the Indian sub-continent.
Variation in Amount of Monsoon Rainfall
- The Western coast (e.g, Kerala) and North-Eastern India receive very high rainfall (400cm).
- It is less than 60 cm in Western Rajasthan,and adjoining parts of Gujarat, Haryana and ‘ Punjab.
- A third area of low precipitation (less than 20 cm) is around Leh in (Jammu and Kashmir).
- Rest of the country has moderate rainfall.
Variation in Type of Precipitation ‘
- In mountainous region (Parts of Jammu and Kashmir, Uttarakhand etc), there is snowfall.
- In the rest of the country, precipitation occurs in the form of rainfall.
Variation in Duration of Monsoon
- The Kerala coast is first hit by monsoon whereas Western Rajasthan and adjoining parts of Gujarat, and Punjab are last to receive.
- The retreating of monsoon takes place first from the area where it reaches last (i.e. Rajasthan,Gujarat, Punjab plain) and finally to leave from Eastern coast.
6.”Development of tropical cyclones is a distinguishing feature of monsoon”. How do tropical cyclones influence distribution of rainfall in India?
Ans. Tropical cyclones are phenomena that occurs due to differences in pressure and temperature over land and ocean. It occurs during advancing monsoon as well as retreating monsoon (October – November)These disturbances affect the Eastern coastal regions -of India. The Eastern coastal region, mostly the Tamil Nadu coast, receives most of its rain from tropical cyclone.The tropical cyclone originates over the Andaman sea and are often very destructive.By causing heavy rainfall in one part of the country (mostly the Eastern coast), the tropical cyclone influences the distribution of rainfall in India.Thus, it can be concluded that development of tropical cyclones is a distinguishing feature of monsoon.
7.Distinguish between advancing monsoon and retreating monsoon.
Ans. The differences between advancing monsoon and retreating monsoon are as follows
Advancing Monsoon:
1.Advancing monsoon falls between June-September.
2.It is a season of heavy rainfall.
3.The advance of monsoon is characterised by wet and dry spells of rainfall. The intervening spell of dryness is called ‘Breaks’ in monsoon.
4.During this season, most of the rainfall occurs by South-West monsoon.
5.During this period, the low-pressure trough is strong and it attracts the South-West monsoon towards the Ganga plain.
Retreating Monsoon:
1.Retreating monsoon falls between October and November.
2.It is a period of transition from hot rainy season to dry winter conditions.
3.The withdrawal of the monsoon is marked by clear skies and rise in temperature. The condition of high temperature and humidity lead to a phenomenon called ‘October heat’.
4.During this season, most of the Rainfall is caused by North-West monsoon and tropical cyclone.
5.As the low-pressure trough weakens, it is unable to draw South-West monsoon. High-Pressure area developed in North-West India. North-West monsoon winds move from land towards the ocean.
8.”Location and relief are important factors in determining the climate of India.” Explain the statement with examples.
Ans. The location of India and the various relief features have deep effect in determining climate of India.
(i) Location
- India is located between 8° N to 37° N latitudes.
- Tropic of Cancer divides the country in two – equal halves— North sub-tropical zone and South tropical zone.
- India is sorrounded by three water bodies in the south and girdled by a high continuous mountain chain in the North.This compact phyical setting gives unique and common climatic framework.
- Indian ocean, Bay of Bengal and Arabian sea have moderating effects on India’s climatic condition.
(ii) Relief
- High mountains in the North act as barriers for cold and hot winds. It provides the whole of North India a tropical climate.
- They may also cause precipitation as they are high enough and lie in the path of rain-bearing winds. For example, the leeward side of Western Ghats remains relatively dry in monsoon season.
- The Himalayas also force the South-West mansoons to shed all their moisture in the sub-continent.
Thus, it can be concluded that location and relief are important factors in determining the climate of India