The different sides of India have strikingly different climates which change according to seasons. Southern India contributes to the region of Southern parts of India which comprises Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Telangana, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu. Tamil Nadu is located in the extreme South of India and is surrounded by the Indian Ocean. It has a rich heritage of flora and fauna which is the result of the Tropical Climate of the region. This region receives significantly high precipitation mostly in the southern part of the state. The region is also prone to cyclones. This article will dive into the discussion about Tamil Nadu climate.

Temperature in Tamil Nadu state:

Being a coastal state there is not much variation in change in temperature throughout the year. However, the annual maximum and minimum average temperature give a different idea. The annual maximum temperature is 32.2 degrees celsius with a varying temperature range of 31.2 degrees Celsius to 33.2 degrees celsius. The maximum temperature received is 40.2 degrees celsius in Madurai. Transitioning the average minimum temperature of the state was recorded to be 22.6 degrees celsius with a range of 21.9 degrees Celsius to 23.3 degrees celsius. The temperature is also regulated by the land and sea breezes which changes the temperature of land around the sea. 

Seasons in Tamil Nadu climate:

There exists mostly tropical weather and climate in Tamil Nadu throughout the year except in the Summer season in the months of March, April and May,wherein, the state experiences intense heat followed by scanty rainfall.

The hottest time of the season is well known as Agni Nakshatram or Kathri Vevyil.

However, the beginning of June brings a lot of relief to the citizens from the intense heat with the onset of monsoon. The southern part of India receives rainfall throughout the year and so does the state of  Tamil Nadu. At the time of  onset of monsoon, the rainfall is the result of the southwest monsoon that commences from the second  week of June and lasts till the last week.The average rainfall recorded here is 150 cm and above.

The second upsurge of precipitation is brought by the Northeast monsoon that lasts for three months i.e. November, December and January. At this time of monsoon the average rainfall received is 150-250 cm of rainfall. November is also the month of cyclonic rainfall which is the result of a change in pressure in the southern part of the Bay of Bengal.

Cyclonic rainfall causes heavy floods in this region. Cyclone Nirvar is one of the recent examples of the phenomenon where 0.1 million were evacuated and taken to refugee camps.

The Winter season commences from the month of October and lasts till February. However, with the retreating monsoon winter is also accompanied by intermittent rainfall.

Topography in Tamil Nadu climate:

The region is surrounded on both sides by the Eastern and Western ghats and gets merged at the Nilgiri hills. The Western ghats act as a protector to the state from the rain-bearing clouds of the Southwest monsoon.

It is a coastal region with a length of 906.9 km. The Eastern region consists of the fertile plains followed by the south-central region which consists of a mixture of arid plains receiving less rainfall.

The northern part of the state is a mix of hills and plains

Rainfall in Tamil Nadu climate:

The Tamil Nadu climate receives an annual rainfall of about 987mm with its extreme ends being about 317.4mm-1890.5mm. The year 2021 broke previous records with annual precipitation of 613mm in the state and the capital received precipitation of 1,121mm. The major portion(50%) of this rainfall comes from the retreating monsoon(October, November, December) whereas the SouthWest monsoon contributes to 34%  of the precipitation of the state. 

The Indian Meteorological Department classifies rainfall each year received into four categories; 

• Normal
• Deficient
• Scanty
• Excess

From the data received the IMD has concluded that from the year 1951 to 2013, the state of Tamil Nadu has received 47 normal, 8 excess, 6 deficient, and 2 scanty rainfall over a period of time. 

Conclusion:

Being a coastal state and surrounded by hills on both sides contributing to its flora and fauna affects the Tamil Nadu climate. Though the Tamil Nadu state faces extreme weather conditions, especially during retreating monsoon which results in heavy floods, the population around the area is moderately dense. The seasons and temperature provide favourable weather and climate in Tamil Nadu for crops like sugarcane, coffee, coconut, tea etc. The seasons also play an important role in the climate of the state and the high temperatures can prove a little difficult to live in along with the cyclone-prone ability of the region.