Class 9th geography
Chapter
Climate
• Climate refers to the sum total of weather conditions and
variations over a large area for a long period of time (more than
thirty years).
• Weather refers to the state of the atmosphere over an area at any
point of time.
• Elements of Weather and Climate:
→ Temperature
→ Atmospheric pressure
→ Wind
→ Humidity
→ Precipitation
Climatic Controls
• 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
→ Relief features
Factors affecting India's Climate
→ Latitude
→ Altitude
→ Pressure and Winds
Latitude
• The Tropic of Cancer passes through the middle of the country.
Half of the country lying south of the Tropic of Cancer, belongs to
the tropical area.
Altitude
• The Himalayas prevent the cold winds from Central Asia from
entering the subcontinent. making winter milder as compared to
central Asia.
Pressure and Winds
• Atmospheric conditions that govern climate and associated
weather conditions in India are:
→ Pressure and surface winds
→ Upper air circulation
→ Western cyclonic disturbances and tropical cyclones.
Upper Air Circulation
• The higher level of the atmosphere is dominated by a westerly
flow. An important component of this flow is the jet stream.
• Jet Streams are a narrow belt of high altitude westerly winds in the
troposphere (transition between troposphere and stratosphere.
Western cyclonic disturbances and tropical cyclones
• The western disturbances, which enter the Indian subcontinent
from the west and the northwest during the winter months, originate
over the Mediterranean Sea and are brought into India by the
westerly jet stream.
• Tropical cyclones originate over the Bay of Bengal and the Indian
ocean.
• Tropical cyclones occur during the monsoon as well as in October-
November, and are part of the easterly flow.
The Indian Monsoon
• Monsoon are seasonal winds which reverse their direction of flow
with the change of season.
• The climate of India is strongly influenced by monsoon winds.
Factors that affect the mechanism of Indian Monsoon
• Differential heating and cooling of land and water create low
pressure on land while the sea experiences high pressure.
• Shifting of Inter Tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) over the Ganga
plain during summers.
• The intensity and position of high-pressure area towards the east
of Madagascar approximately at 20°S over the Indian Ocean affects
the Indian Monsoon. affects the Indian Monsoon.
• The heating up of the Tibetan plateau in summers creates low
pressure above the plateau.
• The movement of the westerly jet stream to the north of the
Himalayas and the presence of the tropical easterly jet stream over
the Indian peninsula during summer.
• Southern Oscillation.
The Onset of the Monsoon and Withdrawal
• The duration of the monsoon is between 100-120 days from early
June to mid-September.
• When the monsoon arrives the normal rainfall increases suddenly
and continues constantly for several days. This is known as the
‘burst’ of the monsoon.
• It proceeds into two – the Arabian Sea branch and the Bay of
Bengal branch.
• The Arabian Sea branch reaches Mumbai about ten days later on
approximately the 10th of June.
• The Bay of Bengal branch also advances rapidly and arrives in
Assam in the first week of June.
• The withdrawal of the monsoon begins in northwestern states of
India by early September.
• By mid-October, it withdraws completely from the northern half of
the peninsula.
• By December, the monsoons retreat completely from the rest of
India.
The Seasons
• Four main seasons can be identified in India
→ the cold weather season
→ the hot weather season
→ the advancing monsoon
→ the retreating monsoon
The Cold Weather Season (Winter)
• The season begins from mid-November and stays till February in
northern India.
• Coldest months are December and January in the northern part of
India.
The Hot Weather Season (Summer)
• The hot weather season in India ranges from March to May.
• Temperatures upto 48 degree Celsius are experienced in North
India.
• In peninsular India, temperatures remain lower due to the
moderating influence of the oceans.
Advancing Monsoon (The Rainy Season)
• By early June, the trade winds of the southern hemisphere get
attracted to the northen hemisphere due to the creation of low-
pressure condition there.
• Rainfall in the Ganga valley decreases from the east to the west.
• Rajasthan and parts of Gujarat get scanty rainfall.
Retreating/Post Monsoons (The Transition Season)
• During October-November, the movement of the sun towards
South causes the monsoon trough in the Northern Plains to become
weaker.
• By early November, the low-pressure conditions, over north-
western India, get transferred to the Bay of Bengal which cause
cycloninc depressions.
Monsoon as a Unifying Bond
• There is great diversity in the climatic conditions due to location,
extent and relief features.
• These monsoon winds bind the whole country by providing water
to set the agricultural activities in motion
