NOTES FOR ADVANCING MONSOONS
Read and understand the questions from 1 to 9.
Do questions from 10 to17 in worksheet and upload by 31 December.
ADVANCING MONSOONS
1. What is the duration of advancing monsoon in India? Give a brief account of how monsoons advance
into India.
June to September.
By early June, the low-pressure condition over the northern plains intensifies and ITCZ shifts
towards the ganga plains. It attracts, the trade winds of the southern hemisphere.
These south-east trade winds originate over the warm subtropical areas of the southern
oceans.
They cross the equator and blow in a southwesterly direction entering the Indian peninsula the
south-west monsoon.
As these winds blow over warm oceans, they bring abundant moisture to the subcontinent.
These winds are strong and blow at an average velocity of 30km per hour. With the exception
of the extreme north-west, the monsoon winds cover the country in about a month.
2. Why bulk of rainfall in India is concentrated during summers only?
SAME AS ANSWER NO.1
3. Explain the ‘burst’or ‘break’ of monsoon with reference to Indian Monsoon.
Around the time of the arrival of the monsoon, the normal rainfall increases suddenly and
continues constantly for several days. This is known as the burst. of the monsoon.
There is a sudden change in weather conditions in India typically from hot and dry weather to
wet and humid weather during the southwest monsoon, characterized by an abrupt rise in the
mean daily rainfall.
This sudden arrival of moist S.W monsoons is associated with violent thunder, lightening and
overcast sky This is known as the burst of the monsoon.
4. Explain the distribution of rainfall in India from the two branches of the advancing monsoons
The Arabian Sea branch
1. The Arabian Sea branch causes heavy orographic rain on the Western slopes(250cms) of the Western
Ghat Mountains. After crossing the Western Ghats it enters the Deccan plateau.
2. The Deccan plateau receives scanty rainfall (50 cms) and becomes a rain shadow region. It passes on
towards the north and central India and there the rainfall occurs.
3. A part of the Arabian sea branch reaches Narmada –Tapi basin and move further to central India.
Absence of orographic obstacles causes less rain near the coast.
4. A small part blows straight to the Aravallis. Because of its parallel situation western part of the Aravallis
does not receive rainfall.
Bay of Bengal branch
5.The Bay of Bengal branch enters Bangladesh, West Bengal and Orissa.
6.The wind goes to the north and north-east up to the foothills of Himalaya and Meghalaya plateau. Heavy
rainfall occurs in the Meghalaya plateau. Mawsynram, a place near Cherrapunjee, receives the highest
recorded rainfall in the world.
7.Mawsynram in the southern ranges of the Khasi Hills,lies in funnel shaped valley sorrunded by garo khasi
and jaintia from three sides receives the highest average rainfall in the world.
8.From there the wind turns to the left and passes over the plains of Northern India. The rainfall gradually
decreases to the West, thus Kolkata gets 150cm, Patna 90cms Amritsar 60 cms. In Punjab the rainfall is very
poor and uncertain.
9.The eastern coastal belt, particularly Tamil Nadu, remains dry during this season. Tamil Nadu lies in the rain
shadow area of the Arabian sea branch and is parallel to the Bay of Bengal branch.
5. Rainfall in India is unevenly distributed. Describe the distribution of rainfall in India. Give three
points.
Rainfall in India is unequally distributed:
Heavy rainfall above 200 cms- Parts of western coast and northeastern India receive over about 400
cm of rainfall annually.
Areas of scanty rainfall less than 60cms However, it is less than 60 cm in western Rajasthan and
adjoining parts of Gujarat, Haryana and Punjab.
Rainfall is equally low in the interior of the Deccan plateau, and east of the Sahyadris(western ghats)
A third area of low precipitation is around Leh in Jammu and Kashmir(leeward side of Himalayas)
Moderate rain The rest of the country receives moderate rainfall.-60-100cms M.P Orissa, A.P,Tamil-
Nadu,middle ganga plains.
6. Why is the distribution of rainfall in India not uniform ? Explain any three reasons, with examples.
Distance from the sea-winds shed their moisture as they blow from sea to land. Kerela near to
the sea gets heavy rain and leh in Himalayas is very far from the sea gets scanty rain.
Relief -windward side of the mts( western coast) get heavy rain as compared to the leeward
side(interior deccan plateau)
Direction of winds with respect to the allignment of relief-if moist winds get obstructed by a
relief then heavy rain takes place(windward side of the western ghats and north east india ) and
if winds run parallel then rainfall is less(In western rajasthan Arabian sea branch runs parallel to
the Aravallis and bay of bengal branch runs parallel to the eastern ghats thus when its is raining
in kerela, tamil nadu gets less rain)
7. Why does the rainfall decrease from east to west in northern part of India ? Explain three
reasons./Why does rainfall decrease from east to west in Northern India ?
1. bay of Bengal branch of the monsoon is obstructed by the Purvanchals in north east causing heavy
rain.
2. sub tropical easterly jet stream which blows from east to west deflects B ofBengal branch towards
west and as winds blow west they shed their moisture
3. Distance from the sea increases thus rain decreases.
8. Why monsoon are known to disturb the farming schedule of million of farmers all over the country?
Monsoons in India are known for their uncertain ties and vagaries.
monsoons are often irregular and unpunctual in arrival as well as retreat.
the alteration of dry as well as wet spell keeps on varying in duration, intensity and frequency.
monsoons are responsible for heavy floods and consequent devastation in part part and on the
other hand its absence in some parts cause droughts. Mawsynram receives highest rainfall,
while Barmer in Rajasthan is quite dry.
Monsoons are unpredictable ,untimely, unreliable and unevenly distributed.
9. Give the characteristics and effects of the monsoon rainfall in India.
1. duration of the monsoon is between 100-120 days from early June to mid-September.
2. Around the time of the arrival of the monsoon, the normal rainfall increases suddenly and
continues constantly for several days. This is known as the burst of the monsoon.
3. .rainfall in India is unevenly distributed.
4. monsoons are often irregular and unpunctual in arrival as well as retreat.
5. the alteration of dry as well as wet spell keeps on varying in duration,intensity and frequency.
6. monsoons are responsible for heavy floods and consequent devastation in part part and on the
other hand its absence in some parts cause droughts.Mawsynram receives highest rainfall,while
Barmer in Rajasthan is quite dry.
7. Monsoons are unpredictable ,untimely,unreliable and unevenly distributed.
8. monsoon are known to disturb the farming schedule of million of farmers all over the country.
10. (a)How is the Arabian branch of the south-west monsoons responsible for good rainfall in the
Western ghats?
(b) Why it does not give much rain in central India?
11. Where is Mawsynram located ? Why does Mawsynram receive the highest amount of
rainfall ?/Which place in india recives the highest rainfall in the world? Why?
12. Inspite of Aravalli Hills, many parts of Rajasthan do not receive much rain. Why?
13. What is windward and leeward side of a mountain? Explain with an example.
14. Why does Meghalaya receives 400cms of rainfall whereas Ladakh and parts of Rajasthan receive 10
cms of rainfall only?
15. Patna gets heavier rainfall than Varanasi. Why?
16. Why are south west monsoons less rainy in Tamil Nadu as compared to Kerala.
17. Why do Western coast receive more rain than eastern coast./South West Monsoons does not give
much rainfall to Chennai. Give reason./ Why does Kerela/Mumbai receive more rain during south-
west monsoon than Tamil Nadu /Chennai.
