Question 5 Describe the regional variations in the climatic conditions of India with the help of suitable examples.
Class 9 - Social science - Climate Page 40
Answers
Many factors like location , altitude , distance from the Sea, general relief produce regional variation in pattern of winds, temperature and rainfall.
The example given below illustrate the climatic differences:
i) Temperature:
Barmer( Rajasthan) has recorded the highest the temperature 50° C in summer and 15° C at night while hilly region like Gulmarg( Kashmir) have a day temperature of 20°C in June.
The winter temperatures at Dras & Kargil (Leh)
drops as low as - 45°C on the other hand Chennai may record only 20°C in December.
The annual range of temperature is about 12°C at Cochin while it is about 40°C in Punjab. Coastal regions have almost uniform temperature throughout the year.
ii) Rainfall:
The striking differences are found in rainfall pattern. Mawsynram (Meghalaya) annual rainfall of 1140 CM is the rainiest place in the world while Jaisalmer( Rajasthan) rarely gets more than 12 centimetre of annual rainfall and Leh gets only 10 cm rainfall.
The Western Coastal plain gets rain Storms while the Coromandel coast remains dry. when the Brahmaputra valley is submerged in floods it brings drought in Bihar
iii) Monsoons:
The dates of onset and withdrawal of monsoon differ in various parts. The West Coast get monsoon in the first week of June while interior parts like Punjab the monsoon by the first week of July.
iv) Seasons:
The southern part of the country have uniformly high temperature throughout the year. There is no winter season in the south. on the other hand seasonal extremes are found in the north. In Summer Heat wave is produced called Loo where as a cold wave is felt in winter.
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The climate of India is described as that of the monsoon type. But within this general pattern there are certain regional variations in climatic conditions. This is because of the variations in temperature, precipitation, atmospheric pressure, wind, humidity and altitude from place to place.
The following are a few examples which prove the above fact:
Range of Temperature - Temperature has great bearing on the climate, so difference in temperature is bound to create variation in the climate. In India there are places like, Rajasthan and south-west Punjab, where the mercury rises even up to 55OC. On the other hand, there are places like Drass, near Kargil, where the temperature sometimes, touches as low as -450 C.
Direction of the Rain-bearing Winds - The direction of the Rain-bearing winds has a great impact on the climate of a place. The summer monsoons arising from the Arabian Sea because of their south-west direction strike the Western Ghats first and cause heavy rainfall (about 250 cm). The regions located in the lee ward side of the mountains receive little rainfall. Therefore, Western Ghats receive heavy rainfall and the eastern Ghats receive scanty rainfall.
Form of Precipitation - The form of precipitation whether it is in the form of light rains or heavy snow also influences the climate of an area. In winter, north-west of India gets some rains due to the Western Disturbances. As a result, there is little rain in the plains of Punjab and Haryana but there is heavy snowfall in the Western Himalayas especially in Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir. All this is due to the change in the form of precipitation.
Amount of Rainfall - Difference in rainfall is bound to create variations in climate. In India, there are places like Mawsynram which receives 1080 cm of rainfall annually. This is perhaps the highest rainfall all over the world. On the other hand, there are places in India, especially in Rajasthan, which gets 20 cm of annual rainfall.
Rainfall Regime or Seasonal Distribution of Rains - In India, there are many parts which get rainfall only during the summer while many others remain dry during that season. On the other hand, there are certain places which get rainfall in winter alone while there are others which get scanty or no rainfall during winter. For example, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh get much of their rainfall in winter season, and in summer they are almost dry. This seasonal distribution of rainfall has a great bearing on climate. In summer both Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh experience dry and hot season while the rest of the country especially Kerala, Karnataka and Maharashtra located on the western-coast of India experience a pleasant climate.