Climatic Diversity : India is a very big country and has regional variations in its climate. The interior of the country has a continental type of climate. Variety of climates in India are :
(i) June is the hottest month for Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh etc. In Rajasthan the temperature may go up to 550C.
(ii) Temperature in Drass and Kargil in January may go down to –450C to –500C.
(iii) Cherrapunji in Meghalaya have a rainfall in a year about 2500 cm while the annual rainfall in Thar desert is less than 13 cm.
(iv) At Malabar Coast (Kerala) the annual range of temperature is 30C whereas in Hissar, Ambala etc it is 200C.
Factors responsible for Climate
(i) Lattitudes : Lattitude of Indian subcontinent lies roughly 300 and the tropic of cancer passes half way. Throughout the year, this makes the temperature high.
(ii) Altitude : As the altitude increases the temperature decreases. Areas in the mountains are cooler than areas in the plains. Ooty in the Nilgiris is pleasant throughout the year though it is relatively close to the Equator.
(iii) Direction of the Mountains : The east-west regions of the Himalayas stand as a barrier against the cold winds. They also force the monsoon winds to shed most of their moisture within the country. Similarly, the Western Ghats force the rain-bearing winds from the Arabian Sea to shed their moisture on the western slopes.
(iv) Distance from the Sea : The climate is moderate near the sea places, such as Chennai. Places in the interior have very hot in summer and very cold in winter such as Islamabad, Delhi and Amritsar.
(v) Surface Winds : The rains are abundant due to monsoon winds in the Indian subcontinent. Winds from the north-west during the winter cause cold waves in northern India while in summer, hot and dry winds sweep over the northern plains of India.
Seasons in the Indian Subcontinent
There are four seasons :
(i) Winter Season : During winter the temperature remains low, cool and dry. Winter lasts from October to March in India. This is the time of north-eastern monsoon.
(ii) Summer Season : Summer lasts from April to June in India. During this season the sun shines vertically over our country. The heat is intense and the weather remains dry.
(iii) Rainy Season : The season begins with the south-west monsoons. The winds blow from high pressure regions over the sea to the low pressure regions over the land. These winds have high moisture and cause rain.
(iv) Retreating Monsoon : During October and November, monsoons start withdrawing first from the north and then from the south. These winds cause rainfall in coastal Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh.
Summer Monsoon : Between June and October India receives most of its rain from the south-west monsoons. The rains change the temperature profile in many parts of India. The monsoons coming from the Arabian Sea strike the Western Ghats and brings heavy rainfall along the western coastal plain and the Western Ghats. Much of moisture is lost by monsoons while crossing the Western Ghats. Thus, the Deccan plateau and the Eastern Ghats receive less rainfall. Further, in north, the monsoons penetrate along the Narmada valley and cause good rainfall in Chhota Nagpur. The monsoons from the Bay of Bengal cause very heavy rainfall along the lower Himalayan ranges of Meghalaya. The Indo-Ganga plain receives the rainfall from this side of the monsoons. On the movement to the west, the moisture is lost by the monsoons. The rainfall decreases as they reach Punjab and Haryana plain. Due to cyclonic weather of Mediterranean sea, some rainfall also occurs in the north western parts of India in the month of January.
Distribution oF Rainfall
(i) Very High Rainfall : About 200 cm rainfall is received per year in the following areas : (i) The Western Ghats and the West Coast plain, (ii) Parts of N.E. India-Assam and Meghalaya, (iii) Bangladesh, and (iv) South-west Sri Lanka.
(ii) High Rainfall : Yearly rainfall of 100 to 200 cm is received in the following areas : (i) The Himalayan region, (ii) The Gangatic plains in Bihar and West Bengal, (iii) North-eastern parts of peninsular plateau, (iv) Parts of east coast, (v) Assam valley and Purvanchal hills, and (vi) North-eastern Sri Lanka.
(iii) Moderate Rainfall : Rainfall of 60 to 100 cm is recieved in the interior of India in the north-south belt from Punjab to north-south of Tamil Nadu and the Indus plain of Pakistan.
(iv) Scanty Rainfall : Less than 60 cm rainfall is received in the follwoing regions : (i) Baluchistan and Sindh of Pakistan, (ii) Rajasthan, (iii) Kashmir and (iv) Peninsular India.
Characteristics of Summer Monsoon Rainfall in the Indian Subcontinent : Summer monsoon rainfall has the following characterstics in the Indian Subcontinent :
(i) Sudden rains due to summer monsoons.
(ii) Dry spells break due to summer monsoons. These breaks are associated with cyclones which determine the amount and intensity of rainfall.
(iii) Far away from the monsoon, rainfall goes on decreasing. That is why Kolkata receives 120 cm of rainfall, Patna 102 cm, Allahabad 76 cm, Delhi 56 cm and about 50 cm in Punjab.
(iv) The S.W. monsoons first hit the Western Ghats. They are higher than the Eastern Ghats. Because of more height the Western Ghats receive more rainfall. As these winds reach the Eastern Ghats, they become devoid of moisture.
Influence of the Climate on the Indian Economy
Agriculture plays a major part in the Indian economy. In our country agriculture mainly depends on monsoon. Thus, India’s climate has affected its economy in the follwing ways :
(i) Variety in temperature and rainfall in the climate of India has led to the cultivation of a large number of crops, i.e., wheat, tea, jute, rice etc.
(ii) Tropical climate of India has little chances of frost damaging our crops.
(iii) High temperatures cause the crops to ripe soon.
(iv) Climate also affects the raw material of agro-industries.
(v) Cattle rearing has developed as the chief occupation of the people in areas of dry climate.
(vi) Lumbering activities have been boost up due to wet climate as such areas have dense forest cover.
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