Seasons[edit]
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) designates four climatological seasons:
[27]
● Winter, occurring from December to February. The year's coldest months
are December and January, when temperatures average around 10–15 °C
(50–59 °F) in the northwest; temperatures rise as one proceeds towards
the equator, peaking around 20–25 °C (68–77 °F) in mainland India's
southeast.
● Summer or Pre-monsoon season, lasting from March to June. In western
and southern regions, the hottest month is April and the beginning of May
and for northern regions of India, May is the hottest Month. In May,
Temperatures average around 32–40 °C (90–104 °F) in most of the
interior.
● South-west monsoon lasting from June to September. The season is
dominated by the humid southwest summer monsoon, which slowly
sweeps across the country beginning in late May or early June. Monsoon
rains begin to recede from North India at the beginning of October. South
India typically receives more rainfall.
● Post-monsoon or North-east monsoon season, lasting from October to
November. In the northwest of India, October and November are usually
cloudless. Tamil Nadu receives most of its annual precipitation in the
northeast monsoon season.
The Himalayan states, being more temperate, experience an additional season,
spring, which coincides with the first weeks of summer in southern India.
Traditionally, North Indians note six seasons or Ritu, each about two months long.
These are the spring season (Sanskrit: vasanta), summer (grīṣma), monsoon season
[28]
(varṣā), autumn (śarada), winter (hemanta), and prevernal season (śiśira). These
are based on the astronomical division of the twelve months into six parts. The
ancient Hindu calendar also reflects these seasons in its arrangement of months. In
Tamil the seasons are called paruvam which means part or a season and they are
summer koɖai(hot summer) paruvam, winter kuɭir(chill) Kāɭam or paruvam and rainy
which is maɻai Kāɭam or paruvam and Autumn which is ilaiyudhir( means leaf falling)
Kāɭam or paruvam and spring is Ila Venir Kāɭam( leaf growing) or paruvam and rainy
or monsoon is Kār(black clouds) paruvam or Kāɭam. The word Kāɭam is generally
used but paruvam is the word for season in tamil standard.
Winter[edit]
Inclement conditions in the Indian Himalayas: a view of Gulmarg, a popular tourist destination
in Jammu and Kashmir in winter.
Once the monsoons subside, average temperatures gradually fall across India. As
the Sun's vertical rays move south of the equator, most of the country experiences
moderately cool weather. December and January are the coldest months, with the
lowest temperatures occurring in the Indian Himalayas. Temperatures are higher in
the east and south.
In northwestern India region, virtually cloudless conditions prevail in October and
November, resulting in wide diurnal temperature swings; as in much of the Deccan
Plateau, they register at 16–20 °C (61–68 °F). However, from January to February,
"western disturbances" bring heavy bursts of rain and snow. These extra-tropical
[29]
low-pressure systems originate in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. They are
carried towards India by the subtropical westerlies, which are the prevailing winds
[24]
blowing at North India's range of latitude. Once their passage is hindered by the
Himalayas, they are unable to proceed further, and they release significant
precipitation over the southern Himalayas.
There is a huge variation in the climatic conditions of Himachal Pradesh due to
variation in altitude (450–6500 metres). The climate varies from hot and subtropical
humid (450–900 metres) in the southern low tracts, warm and temperate (900–1800
metres), cool and temperate (1900–2400 metres) and cold glacial and alpine (2400–
4800 metres) in the northern and eastern elevated mountain ranges. By October,
nights and mornings are very cold. Snowfall at elevations of nearly 3000 m is about 3
m and lasts from December start to March end. Elevations above 4500 m support
perpetual snow. The spring season starts from mid February to mid April. The
weather is pleasant and comfortable in the season. The rainy season starts at the
end of the month of June. The landscape lushes green and fresh. During the season
streams and natural springs are replenished. The heavy rains in July and August
cause a lot of damage resulting in erosion, floods and landslides. Out of all the state
districts, Dharamshala receives the highest rainfall, nearly about 3,400 mm (134 in).
[30]
Spiti is the driest area of the state, where annual rainfall is below 50 mm. The five
Himalayan states (Ladakh, Jammu and Kashmir in the extreme north, Himachal
Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh in far east) and Northern
West Bengal experience heavy snowfall, Manipur and Nagaland are not located in
the Himalayas but experience occasional snowfall; in Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh
and Jammu and Kashmir, blizzards occur regularly, disrupting travel and other
activities.
The rest of North India, including the Indo-Gangetic Plain and Madhya Pradesh
almost never receives snow. Temperatures in the plains occasionally fall
below freezing, though never for more than one or two days. Winter highs
in Delhi range from 16 to 21 °C (61 to 70 °F). Nighttime temperatures
average 2–8 °C (36–46 °F). In the plains of Punjab, lows can fall below
[31]
freezing, dropping to around −3 °C (27 °F) in Amritsar. Frost sometimes
occurs, but the hallmark of the season is the notorious fog, which frequently disrupts
daily life; fog grows thick enough to hinder visibility and disrupt air travel 15–20 days
annually. In Bihar in middle of the Ganges plain, hot weather sets in and the summer
lasts until the middle of June. The highest temperature is often registered in late May
or early June which is the hottest time. Like the rest of the north, Bihar also
experiences dust-storms, thunderstorms and dust raising winds during the hot
season. Dust storms having a velocity of 48–64 km/h (30–40 mph) are most frequent
in May and with second maximum in April and June. The hot winds (loo) of Bihar
plains blow during April and May with an average velocity of 8–16 km/h (5–10 mph).
[32]
These hot winds greatly affect human comfort during this season. Rain follows.
The rainy season begins in June. The rainiest months are July and August. The rains
are the gifts of the southwest monsoon. There are in Bihar three distinct areas where
rainfall exceeds 1,800 mm (71 in). Two of them are in the northern and northwestern
portions of the state; the third lies in the area around Netarhat. The southwest
[33]
monsoon normally withdraws from Bihar in the first week of October. Eastern
India's climate is milder but gets colder as one moves north west, experiencing
moderately warm days to cool days and cool nights to cold nights. Highs ranges from
18 °C to 23 °C (64 °F to 73 °F) in Patna; to 22 °C to 27 °C (72 °F to 80 °F) in Kolkata
(Calcutta); lows averages from 7 °C to 10 °C (45 °F to 50 °F) in Patna; to 12 °C to 15
°C (54 °F to 59 °F) in Kolkata. In Madhya Pradesh which is towards the south-
western side of the Gangetic Plain similar conditions prevail albeit with much less
humidity levels. Capital Bhopal averages low of 9 °C (48 °F) and high of 24 °C (75
°F).
Late-season monsoonal sunset, Coromandel Coast.
Frigid winds from the Himalayas can depress temperatures near the Brahmaputra
[34]
River. The Himalayas have a profound effect on the climate of the Indian
subcontinent and the Tibetan plateau by preventing frigid and dry Arctic winds from
blowing south into the subcontinent, which keeps South Asia much warmer than
corresponding temperate regions in the other continents. It also forms a barrier for
the monsoon winds, keeping them from travelling northwards, and causing heavy
rainfall in the Terai region instead. The Himalayas are indeed believed to play an
important role in the formation of Central Asian deserts such as the Taklamakan and
Gobi. The mountain ranges prevent western winter disturbances in Iran from
travelling further east, resulting in much snow in Kashmir and rainfall for parts of
Punjab and northern India. Despite the Himalayas being a barrier to the cold
northerly winter winds, the Brahmaputra valley receives part of the frigid winds, thus
lowering the temperature in Northeast India and Bangladesh. The Himalayas contain
the greatest area of glaciers and permafrost outside of the poles, and account for the
origin of ten of Asia's largest rivers. The two Himalayan states in the east, Sikkim
and Arunachal Pradesh, receive substantial snowfall. The extreme north of West
Bengal centred on Darjeeling experiences snowfall, but only rarely.
In South India, particularly the hinterlands of Maharashtra, parts of Karnataka, and
Andhra Pradesh, somewhat cooler weather prevails. Minimum temperatures in
eastern Maharashtra and Chhattisgarh hover around 10 °C (50 °F); in the southern
Deccan Plateau, they reach 16 °C (61 °F). Coastal areas—especially those near the
Coromandel Coast and adjacent low-elevation interior tracts—are warm, with daily
high temperatures of 30 °C (86 °F) and lows of around 21 °C (70 °F). The Western
Ghats, including the Nilgiri Range, are exceptional; lows there can fall below
[35]
freezing. This compares with a range of 12–14 °C (54–57 °F) on the Malabar
Coast; there, as is the case for other coastal areas, the Indian Ocean exerts a strong
[14]
moderating influence on weather. The region averages 800 millimetres (31 in)
Summer[edit]
A summer view of Khajjiar, a hill station in Himachal Pradesh.
Summer in northwestern India starts from April and ends in July, and in the rest of
the country from March to May but sometimes lasts to mid June. The temperatures
in the north rise as the vertical rays of the Sun reach the Tropic of Cancer. The
hottest month for the western and southern regions of the country is April; for most of
North India, it is May. Temperatures of 50 °C (122 °F) and higher have been
recorded in parts of India during this season. Another striking feature of summer is
the Loo. These are strong, gusty, hot, dry winds that blow during the day in India.
[18]
Direct exposure to the heat that comes with these winds may be fatal. In cooler
regions of North India, immense pre-monsoon squall-line thunderstorms, known
locally as "Nor'westers", commonly drop large hailstones. In Himachal Pradesh,
Summer lasts from mid April till the end of June and most parts become very hot
(except in alpine zone which experience mild summer) with the average temperature
[36]
ranging from 28 °C (82 °F) to 32 °C (90 °F). Near the coast, the temperature
hovers around 36 °C (97 °F), and the proximity of the sea increases the level of
humidity. In southern India, the temperatures are higher on the east coast by a few
degrees compared to the west coast.
By May, most of the Indian interior experiences mean temperatures over 32 °C (90
°F), while maximum temperatures often exceed 40 °C (104 °F). In the hot months of
April and May, western disturbances, with their cooling influence, may still arrive, but
[37]
rapidly diminish in frequency as summer progresses. Notably, a higher frequency
of such disturbances in April correlates with a delayed monsoon onset (thus
extending summer) in northwest India. In eastern India, monsoon onset dates have
been steadily advancing over the past several decades, resulting in shorter summers
[24]
there.
Altitude affects the temperature to a large extent, with higher parts of the Deccan
Plateau and other areas being relatively cooler. Hill stations, such as Ootacamund
("Ooty") in the Western Ghats and Kalimpong in the eastern Himalayas, with
average maximum temperatures of around 25 °C (77 °F), offer some respite from the
heat. At lower elevations, in parts of northern and western India, a strong, hot, and
dry wind known as the loo blows in from the west during the daytime; with very high
temperatures, in some cases up to around 45 °C (113 °F); it can cause fatal cases of
sunstroke. Tornadoes may also occur, concentrated in a corridor stretching from
northeastern India towards Pakistan. They are rare, however; only several dozen
have been reported since 1835.
Monsoon[edit]
Main article: Monsoon in India
Onset dates and prevailing wind currents of the southwest summer and northeast winter
monsoons.
Regional variation in rainfall across India. The monsoon season delivers four-fifths of the
country's precipitation.
Fishing boats parked in the Anjarle creek for the monsoon season. Fishing in the coastal
areas is not possible now due to the harsh weather conditions.
The southwest summer monsoon, a four-month period when massive convective
[38]
thunderstorms dominate India's weather, is Earth's most productive wet season. A
product of southeast trade winds originating from a high-pressure mass centred over
the southern Indian Ocean, the monsoonal torrents supply over 80% of India's
[39]
annual rainfall. Attracted by a low-pressure region centred over South Asia, the
[40]
mass spawns surface winds that ferry humid air into India from the southwest.
These inflows ultimately result from a northward shift of the local jet stream, which
itself results from rising summer temperatures over Tibet and the Indian
subcontinent. The void left by the jet stream, which switches from a route just south
[41]
of the Himalayas to one tracking north of Tibet, then attracts warm, humid air.
The main factor behind this shift is the high summer temperature difference between
[42]
Central Asia and the Indian Ocean. This is accompanied by a seasonal excursion
of the normally equatorial intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ), a low-pressure belt
[41]
of highly unstable weather, northward towards India. This system intensified to its
present strength as a result of the Tibetan Plateau's uplift, which accompanied the
Eocene–Oligocene transition event, a major episode of global cooling and
[43]
aridification which occurred 34–49 Ma.
The southwest monsoon arrives in two branches: the Bay of Bengal branch and the
Arabian Sea branch. The latter extends towards a low-pressure area over the Thar
Desert and is roughly three times stronger than the Bay of Bengal branch. The
monsoon typically breaks over Indian territory by around 25 May, when it lashes the
Andaman and Nicobar Islands in the Bay of Bengal. It strikes the Indian mainland
[44]
around 1 June near the Malabar Coast of Kerala. By 9 June, it reaches Mumbai; it
appears over Delhi by 29 June. The Bay of Bengal branch, which initially tracks the
Coromandal Coast northeast from Cape Comorin to Orissa, swerves to the
northwest towards the Indo-Gangetic Plain. The Arabian Sea branch moves
northeast towards the Himalayas. By the first week of July, the entire country
experiences monsoon rain; on average, South India receives more rainfall than
North India. However, Northeast India receives the most precipitation. Monsoon
clouds begin retreating from North India by the end of August; it withdraws from
Mumbai by 5 October. As India further cools during September, the southwest
[41]
monsoon weakens. By the end of November, it has left the country.
Pre-monsoon clouds, as they appear in Mumbai, western Maharashtra.
Monsoon rains affect the health of the Indian economy; as Indian agriculture
[4]
employs 600 million people and constitutes 20% of the national GDP, good
monsoons correlate with a booming economy. Weak or failed monsoons (droughts)
result in widespread agricultural losses and substantially hinder overall economic
[45][46][47]
growth. Yet such rains reduce temperatures and can replenish groundwater
tables and rivers.
Post-monsoon[edit]
During the post-monsoon or autumn months of October to December, a different
monsoon cycle, the northeast (or "retreating") monsoon, brings dry, cool, and dense
air masses to large parts of India. Winds spill across the Himalayas and flow to the
[48]
southwest across the country, resulting in clear, sunny skies. Though the India
Meteorological Department (IMD) and other sources refers to this period as a fourth
[49][50][51] [52]
("post-monsoon") season, other sources designate only three seasons.
Depending on location, this period lasts from October to November, after the
southwest monsoon has peaked. Less and less precipitation falls, and vegetation
begins to dry out. In most parts of India, this period marks the transition from wet to
dry seasonal conditions. Average daily maximum temperatures range between 25
and 34 °C (77 and 93 °F) in the Southern parts.
The northeast monsoon, which begins in September, lasts through the post-
monsoon seasons, and only ends in March. It carries winds that have already lost
their moisture out to the ocean (opposite from the summer monsoon). They cross
India diagonally from northeast to southwest. However, the large indentation made
by the Bay of Bengal into India's eastern coast means that the flows are humidified
before reaching Cape Comorin and rest of Tamil Nadu, meaning that the state, and
also some parts of Kerala, experience significant precipitation in the post-monsoon
[19]
and winter periods. However, parts of West Bengal, Orissa, Andhra Pradesh,
Karnataka and Mumbai also receive minor precipitation from the north-east
monsoon.
