The Climate of India

The term “climate” refers to the long-term average of weather conditions. Weather may change swiftly, within a day or a week. Climate change is imperceptible and may not be seen for 50 years or more.

Benchmarked average weather conditions, noted over a long time, are called climate. Similarly, the recorded weather conditions from India reveal that the climate of India is hot monsoonal. Such a climate is well recorded from South and Southeast Asia.

• Monsoon generally lasts for months and is a seasonal reversal wind. It implies the time of the year when there is a reversal in the direction of winds
• The regions of India experience variations, which best explains the climate of India. The variations are in respect of change in wind patterns, temperature and rainfall, the rhythm of seasons, and the degree of wetness or dryness. The nature of climates at the regional level is diverse, and these changes are referred to as the subtypes of monsoon climate

Regional Variations in Precipitation 

• While snowfall occurs in the Himalayan mountains, there are other areas where it mostly rains in the rest of the country
• While average rainfall is recorded over Cherrapunji and Mawsynramis over 1,080 cm. It is situated in the Khasi Hills of Meghalaya. On the other hand, there is Jaisalmer in Rajasthan, the exact opposite of rainfall received during the same period. Jaisalmer gets less than 9 cm of rain
• Rainfall in India happens in the months from June to September generally. However, in Tamil Nadu, the coastal areas, rainfall is witnessed as winters approach
• Intense rain-bearing storms hit the Ganga delta and the coastal plains of Odisha in July and August
• The Coromandel coast generally goes dry during the months of July and August

Factors Determining Climate of India

A bunch of factors compel the climate of India. These factors can be grouped under two categories – the first one being location and relief, and the second one being air pressure and winds.

Factors related to Location and Relief

Latitude 

• An imaginary line often referred to as the Tropic of Cancer goes through the centre of India. It passes from the west, precisely through the Kutch Rann region, and goes to the east, all the way to Mizoram. It divides the climate of India, where the northern part of the Tropic of Cancer is classified as sub-tropical and temperate zone, while the southern part is classified as the tropical zone
• The tropical zone is pretty close to the equator, which often compels the climate. This means that the southern region has rising temperatures across the entire year, with slight shifts in every day and yearly range
• On the other end, the northern regions to the Tropic of Cancer experience extreme climate with high daily and annual range of temperature. It is because the area is away from the equator

Himalayan Mountains 

• Himalayan mountains effectively play a role in dividing the climate of India. They safeguard the subcontinent from the freezing winds approaching from the north. The north winds are chilly, emerge from the Arctic circle, and travel across central and eastern Asia
• Monsoon winds stay stagnant in the Himalayas because the Himalayan mountains trap them well. This leads them to shed their moisture across the subcontinent

Distribution of Land and Water

• Referring to India’s distribution of land and water, the country meets the Indian Ocean across the south, three parts of the south precisely. In the north, the country has a high and continuous mountain wall
• Speaking of the Indian subcontinent, it experiences different air pressures in different seasons. The differentiation is a difference in the intensity by which the land and sea heat or cool down. If we compare it with the landmass, there is a vast difference in the power water heats or cools down in the subcontinent
• Change in the air pressure also changes the direction of the monsoon winds, often in the reverse direction. This is how the distribution of land and water affects the climate of India

Distance from the Sea 

• With a long coastline, large coastal areas have an equable climate
• Areas located within India stay unaffected by the moderating influence of the sea. It is essentially why the climate of India in these areas is extreme. 
• The seasonal contrasts in weather at places in the country’s interior, such as Delhi, Kanpur, and Amritsar, can be observed.

Altitude

• Temperature decreases with height
• On account of thin air, areas located in the mountains are excellent compared to the plains. Here is an example: Agra and Darjeeling are located on the same latitude, but the temperature of January in Agra is 16 °C, whereas it is only 4 °C in Darjeeling

Relief

• The physiography or relief of India also plays a role in altering the temperature, air pressure, direction & speed of the wind, and finally, the amount & distribution of rainfall
• Referring to the windward sides of the Western Ghats and Assam, they experience massive rainfall during June-September. Contrarily, the southern plateau stays unaffected by the rainfall because of the area away from the wind, along the Western Ghats

Air Pressure and Wind

To understand the differences in the local climate of India, it is necessary to understand the mechanism of the following three factors: 

• Distribution of air pressure and winds across the surface of the earth
• Factors that affect global weather cause upper air circulation and different air masses and jet streams
• The western cyclones flow through winter and are generally known as disturbances. Also, the southwest monsoon period in India experiences tropical depressions. Both the instances create a situation favourable for rainfall

Conclusion 

In conclusion, we have looked into the meaning of climate emphasising upon the varying climates of India. We can thus conclude that India largely has a tropical climate. The majority of India is subtropical, which implies scorching summers, humid rainy seasons, and moderate winters. Summers in the hilly parts are pleasant, while winters are frigid. Between June and August, much of India is affected by monsoons.