climatic regions of india

8/6/2019 Climatic Regions of India

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Climatic regions of India

India, being a vast country does not fit into any one zone. Situated roughly between 8 N and 37 NLatitude, it occupies a large area of South Asia.

The climate of India defies easy generalization, comprising a wide range of weather conditions across alarge geographic scale and varied topography. Analyzed according to the Kppen system, Indiahosts sixmajor climatic subtypes, ranging fromdesertin the west, toalpine tundraandglaciers in the north, tohumid tropical regions supporting rain forestsin the southwest and the island territories. Many regionshave starkly different micro climates. The nation has four seasons: winter (January and February),summer (March to May), a monsoon (rainy) season (June to September), and a post-monsoon period(October to December).

India's unique geographyand geology strongly influence its climate; this is particularly true of theHimalayas in the north and theThar Desertin the northwest. The Himalayas act as a barrier to the frigidkatabatic windsflowing down fromCentral Asia. Thus, North Indiais kept warm or only mildly cold duringwinter; in summer, the same phenomenon makes India relatively hot. Although the Tropic of Cancertheboundary between the tropics and subtropicspasses through the middle of India, the whole country is

considered to be tropical.

As in much of the tropics, monsoonal and other weather conditions in India are unstable: major droughts,floods, cyclones and other natural disasters are sporadic, but have killed or displaced millions.

India has a large variation in climate from region to region, due to its vast size. India experiences climatefrom four major climate groups. These can be further subdivided into seven climatic types.

Tropical rainy climatic group

The regions belonging to this group experience persistent high temperatures which normally do not gobelow 18C even in the coolest month. There are two climatic types which fall under this group.

Tropical monsoon rain forest

The west coastal lowlands, the Western Ghats, and southern parts ofAssam have this climate type. It ischaracterized by high temperatures throughout the year, even in the hills. The rainfall here is seasonal,but heavy and is above 78 in a year. Most of the rain is received in the period from May to November, andis adequate for the growth of vegetation during the entire year. December to March are the dry monthswith very little rainfall. The heavy rain is responsible for the tropical wet forests in these regions, whichconsists of a large number of species of animals.

Tropical wet and dry climate

Most of the plateau of peninsular India enjoys this climate, except a semi-arid tract to the east of theWestern Ghats. Winter and early summer are long dry periods with temperature above 18C. Summer isvery hot and the temperatures in the interior low level areas can go above 45C during May. The rainyseason is from June to September and the annual rainfall is between 75 and 150 cm. Only Tamil Nadureceives rainfall during the winter months of October to December.

Dry climate group
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This group consists of regions where the rate ofevaporation of water is higher than the rate ofmoisturereceived through precipitation. It is subdivided into three climate types.

Tropical semi-arid steppe climate

A long stretch of land situated to the south ofTropic of Cancerand east of the western ghats and the

Cardamom Hills experiences this climate. It includes Karnataka, interiorTamil Nadu, western AndhraPradeshand central Maharashtra. This region is a famine prone zone with very unreliable rainfall whichvaries between 40 to 75 cm annually. Towards the north ofKrishna Riverthe summer monsoon isresponsible for most of the rainfall, while to the south of the river rainfall also occurs in the months ofOctober and November. The coldest month is December but even in this month the temperature remainsbetween 20C and 24C. The months of March to May are hot and dry with mean monthly temperaturesof around 32C. The vegetation mostly comprises grasses with a few scattered trees due to the rainfall.Hence this area is not very well suited for permanent agriculture.

Tropical and sub-tropical desert

Most of westernRajasthanfalls under this climate type characterized by scanty rainfall. Cloud bursts arelargely responsible for the all the rainfall seen in this region which is less than 30 cm. These happen when

the monsoon winds penetrate this region in the months of July, August and September. The rainfall isvery erratic and a few regions might not see rainfall for a couple of years. The summer months of Mayand June are very hot with mean monthly temperatures in the region of 35C and highs which cansometimes reach 50C. During winters the temperatures can drop below freezing in some areas due tocold wave. There is a large diurnal range of about 14C during summer which becomes higher by a fewmore degrees during winter. This extreme climate makes this a sparsely populated region of India.

Tropical and sub-tropical steppe

The region towards the east of the tropical desert running from Punjab andHaryanato Kathiawarexperiences this climate type. This climate is a transitional climate falling between tropical desert andhumid sub-tropical, with temperatures which are less extreme than the desert climate. The annual rainfallis between 30 to 65 cm but is very unreliable and happens mostly during the summer monsoon season.

Maximum temperatures during summer can rise to 40C. The vegetation mostly comprises short coarsegrass. Some crops likejowarand bajraare also cultivated.

Humid sub-tropical climate group

The temperature during the coldest months in regions experiencing this climate falls between 18 and 0C.It has one climatic subdivision in India.

Humid sub-tropical with dry winters

The foothills of the Himalayas, Punjab-Haryana plain adjacent to the Himalayas, Rajasthan east of theAravalli range, Uttar Pradesh,Biharand northern part ofWest Bengaland Assam experience this climate.

The rainfall is received mostly in the summer and is about 65 cm in the west and increases to 250 cmannually to the east and near the Himalayas. The winters are mainly dry due to the land derived winterwinds which blow down the lowlands of north India towards theBay of Bengal. The summers are hot andtemperatures can reach 46C in the lowlands. May and June are the hottest months. Winter months aremostly dry with feeble winds. Frost occurs for a few weeks in winter. The difference in rainfall between theeast and the west gives rise to a wide difference in the natural vegetation and crops.

Mountain climate
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evaporationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evaporationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moisturehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Precipitation_(meteorology)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Precipitation_(meteorology)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tropic_of_Cancerhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tropic_of_Cancerhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tropic_of_Cancerhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cardamom_Hillshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karnatakahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karnatakahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tamil_Naduhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tamil_Naduhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andhra_Pradeshhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andhra_Pradeshhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andhra_Pradeshhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maharashtrahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maharashtrahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Krishna_Riverhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Krishna_Riverhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Krishna_Riverhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rajasthanhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rajasthanhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rajasthanhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Punjab,_Indiahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haryanahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haryanahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haryanahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kathiawarhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jowarhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pearl_millethttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pearl_millethttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aravallihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uttar_Pradeshhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uttar_Pradeshhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biharhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biharhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_Bengalhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_Bengalhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bay_of_Bengalhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bay_of_Bengalhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evaporationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moisturehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Precipitation_(meteorology)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tropic_of_Cancerhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cardamom_Hillshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karnatakahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tamil_Naduhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andhra_Pradeshhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andhra_Pradeshhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maharashtrahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Krishna_Riverhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rajasthanhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Punjab,_Indiahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haryanahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kathiawarhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jowarhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pearl_millethttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aravallihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uttar_Pradeshhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biharhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_Bengalhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bay_of_Bengal


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In the Himalayan mountains the temperature falls by 0.6C for every 100 m rise inaltitude and this givesrise to a variety of climates from nearly tropical in the foothills to tundratype above the snow line. Onecan also observe sharp contrast between temperatures of the sunny and shady slopes, high diurnal rangeof temperature, inversion of temperature, and variability of rainfall based on altitude.

The northern side of the western Himalayas also known as the trans-Himalayan belt isarid, cold and

generally wind swept. The vegetation is sparse and stunted as rainfall is scanty and the winters areseverely cold. Most of the rainfall is in the form of snow during late winter and spring months. The area tothe south of the great Himalayan range is protected from cold winds coming from interior of Asia duringwinter. The leeward side of the mountains receives less rain while the well exposed slopes get heavyrainfall. The places situated between 1070 and 2290 m altitudes receive the heaviest rainfall and therainfall decreases rapidly above 2290m. The great Himalayan range witnesses heavy snowfall duringwinter months of December to February at altitudes above 1500m. The diurnal range of temperature isalso high.

The states of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Sikkim experience this kind ofweather.

Seasons

The India Meteorological Department(IMD) designates four official seasons.

Cycle of season

Though divided into different climatic zones, India seems to be unified by primarily four seasons- Winter, Summer,Advancing Monsoon and Retreating Monsoon.

Winter: December to February is the wintertime in almost all of India. At this time of the year, days are cold withaverage temperature of10-15C, but it can drop down to below 0C in some higher ranges of northern India.

Normally winters are dry in northern India. Temperatures rise as one proceeds towards the equator, peaking

around 2025 C (6877 F) in mainland India's southeast.In Southern part, the temperature difference is notso marked due to moderating effect of Indian Ocean, Bay of Bengal and Arabian Sea.

Summer: March, April, May and June are the summer months in India. It is a time period when rays of the sun fallvertically on Indian subcontinent. The average temperature is around 32 c but in western region the maximumtemperature can be far above the average. Hot wind, known, as 'Loo' is the marked feature of summers in northern

India. In western and southern regions, the hottest month is April; for northern regions, May is the hottestmonth. Temperatures average around 3240 C (90104 F) in most of the interior.

Advancing Monsoon: It is the time period when India gets major part of its share of rain. Months of June, July,August and September form the core of Advancing Monsoon in almost all parts of country. The monsoon approacheswith moisture laden winds, this sudden approach is marked with violent thunderstorms and lightening, known as'break' of the monsoon.

Retreating Monsoon: This season starts, when monsoon after drenching all of India, begins to retreat. With the

month of September, rainfall began to decrease and as we approach November, the monsoon is completely gonefrom major part of India, except for Tamil Nadu and some other southern states, which also receive rain from WesternDisturbance.

In recent times, this cycle of season has been disturbed due to uncontrolled industrialization and other developmentalactivities resulting in drastic changes in climate. This has lead to climatic disasters such as Drought, LandslidesFloods and Global Warming. The unchecked cutting down of trees indirectly leads to landslide and drought. AnnualFloods have become part of life in many regions of India. It results in large-scale loss of life and property.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Altitudehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Altitudehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tundrahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tundrahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aridhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aridhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/India_Meteorological_Departmenthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/India_Meteorological_Departmenthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Altitudehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tundrahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aridhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/India_Meteorological_Department


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The Himalayan states, being more temperate, experience an additional two seasons: autumn and spring.Traditionally, Indians note six seasons, each about two months long. These are the spring (Sanskrit:vasanta), summer (grma), monsoon season (var), early autumn (arada), late autumn (hemanta), andwinter (iira). These are based on the astronomical division of the twelve months into six parts. Theancient Hindu calendaralso reflects these seasons in its arrangement of months.
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Jaisalmer, Hot and Dry

Mean MonthlyTemp. (C)

Mean MonthlyR.H. (%)

Mean MonthlyPreciptation

No. of ClearDays in amonth

Places

Hot & dry >30


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jaisalmer haveli elevation

jaisalmer haveli plans

jaisalmer haveli plans


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jaisalmer section

jaisalmer site plan

Leh, Cold and Sunny



Mean MonthlyPrecipitation

No. of cleardays in amonth

Places

Cold & cloudy


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Padamanabhapuram Palace, Trivandrum, Warm and Humid





Places

Warm & humid >30 >5Trivandrum, CoastalAreas/ North East.

High humidity, strong sun, glare from the sky and horizon characterize this climate. There are longmonsoon periods with heavy rain. But the breezes, especially in coastal areas, can alleviate discomfortconsiderably.

The Padmanabhapuram Palace in Trivandrum, responds to the climate with steep sloping high tiled roofs,with deep eaves. The sides are open to the breeze, and air ventilates up through the porous tile roofs,ensuring that the indoor temperature does not build up.


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Using open slatted or perforated timber screens on sides of verandahs cuts out glare, ensures privacy butallows the breeze flow across the rooms. Walls are white to reflect the sun, and often completely shadedby the verandahs.

For a cluster of buildings, an openness of planning, to allow the natural breeze to flow through them is ofparamount importance.

Sauni Village, U.P., Cold and Cloudy

Mean Monthly Mean Monthly Mean Monthly No. of clear Places


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Temp. (C) R.H. (%) Precipitationdays in amonth

Cold & cloudy 55 >5


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Rang Mahal, Red Fort, Delhi, Composite

New Delhi has a Composite climate. It has a very hot and dry summer, followed by a humid season withmonsoon rains. With the departure of the monsoon it gradually becomes comfortable in autumn, followed

by a short winter with the cloudy and wet as well as sunny periods. Before the summer returns there is acomfortable but short spring season.

The Rang Mahal at the Red Fort royal palace has spaces suitable for every season. Rooms have thickwalls and small openings for summer days and winter nights. Verandahs are for evenings and mornings.There is a screened balcony that will cut out the sun but enjoy the monsoon breeze during the humidseason.

Additionally, there is water stream flowing through the middle and the screens and awnings that can beraised or lowered to modulate the light, provide shade, or insulate against the heat or cold.

Exterior RangMahal RedFort

Interiors Rang Mahal RedFort


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Plan Rang Mahal RedFort

Bangalore, Moderate





Places

Moderate 25-30


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Ground Floor Plan


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External View

Spaces


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