Question

DESCRIBE THE CYCLE OF SEASONS IN INDIA.

Answer 1

The cycle of seasons is caused by Earth's tilt toward the sun. The planet rotates around an (invisible) axis. At different times during the year, the northern or southern axis is closer to the sun. The astronomical definition of the seasons relates to specific points in Earth's trip around the sun

Cycle of seasons: There are four seasons in India: winter (January-February), summer (March-May), Advancing monsoon (June-September) and post monsoon also known as north-east monsoon in the southern peninsula (October-December). ... It is a time period when rays of the sun fall vertically on the Indian subcontinent.

Answer 2

Answer:

Seasons: The Cycle of Seasons in India (with map and diagrams)!

The Indian monsoons may be studied in the framework of four distinct seasons over an annual cycle. The winter season lasts for the months of December, January and February. The season is mostly dry as the north­east trade winds blow from the land to the sea.

The cold is severe in the northern parts of the country and only mild in the southern regions. In the northern plains, January temperature may be around 10°C while in the south mean temperatures could be 25°C. The days are generally warm. Nights are cold. Snowfall and frost formation take place at places situated on high altitudes.

Winters are the ideal season, specially for the tourists from foreign countries. The days are sunny with cool breezes. Humidity is low and practically rainless months make travelling easy and uninterrupted. Western disturbances cause light rainfall during the winter months. These showers greatly benefit the winter crops like wheat, sugarcane, mustard and gram. Western disturbances are caused by shallow cyclonic depressions originating over the east Mediterranean Sea.

Travelling eastward, they reach the north-western parts of India. On their way, they are loaded with more moisture from the Caspian Sea and the Persian Gulf. Apart from light rains over north-western parts of the country, the western disturbances also lead to snowfall in the western Himalayan regions. This snow melts during the summer months and feeds the river systems originating from Himalayas.

Winter rains are often followed by cold waves. There is sudden drop of temperature during the period of the cold wave. The north-east trade winds also known as north-east monsoons bring winter rains to Tamil Nadu. That is the only part of India that gets winter rains.

Summer Season:

The summer season lasts from March to May. The heat belt keeps on shifting from south to the northern parts of the country. In the Deccan plateau, the highest temperatures may be recorded in March. Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh experience the hot season during April. By May, summer sets in covering west parts of India. Maximum temperatures shoot up to 48°C in these areas.

Rising temperatures lead to creation of low pressure in the northern regions of the country. By the end of May, a low pressure trough develops extending from the desert regions in the north-west to east and south-east regions covering Bihar and the plateau of Chota Nagpur.

May is the season of loo, the hot and dry winds that blow during the day and often even at night. Heat strokes are common with direct exposure to these winds. Intense heat during the day brings dust storms by the evening. Occasionally, the storms are accompanied by light showers. The showers are a great relief from the scorching heat.

But often these showers bring with them hailstorms. This is the time when winter crops lie in the fields waiting to be shifted to the farmers, house or the mandi. Torrential rains or hailstorms cause heavy damage in such cases.

Well before the onset of the monsoon season, coastal areas of Kerala and Karnataka experience pre-monsoon showers. These however remain localized. A high pressure belt over the Deccan plateau checks their further advance to the north.

Cyclones and Anti-cyclones:

These are winds that keep on changing their directions. The cyclone has a low pressure at its centre and a circular wind motion. The motion is counter clockwise in the northern hemisphere and clockwise in the southern. A cyclone is often accompanied by heavy rain.

Tropical cyclones are violent and are also known as hurricanes or typhoons. Developing over water bodies, they cause wide spread destruction. Anticyclone has a high pressure area at its centre surrounded by a low pressure all around. Wind blows out from the centre to all directions.

Explanation: