NCERT Solutions · Class 7 SST · Exploring Society: India and Beyond Part 1 · Chapter 2
Chapter 2: Understanding the Weather (Geography)
Answers to all "Questions and activities" of Chapter 2, Understanding the Weather (NCERT Class 7 Social Science, Exploring Society: India and Beyond Part 1, 2026-27): elements of weather, weather instruments, reading a forecast, setting up a rain gauge and reporting IMD weather data. All 4 questions are answered, with the key answer highlighted.
Match the instrument with the weather element it measures: (1) hygrometer (2) anemometer (3) barometer (4) thermometer (5) rain gauge — (a) precipitation (b) atmospheric pressure (c) wind direction and speed (d) humidity (e) temperature
Jyotsna is deciding what clothes to pack for her school trip to Mumbai in June. The forecast predicts 29 °C and 84% humidity. What would be your advice to her?
Solution
June is the monsoon season in Mumbai: it will be warm and very humid, with heavy rain likely. My advice:
Pack light, loose cotton clothes that dry quickly; avoid heavy or woollen clothes.
Carry an umbrella or raincoat and waterproof footwear (sandals or floaters rather than canvas shoes).
Take a few extra sets of clothes (they may get wet and dry slowly in humid air), a small towel and plastic bags for wet clothes.
Drink plenty of water; carry a water bottle.
Warm, humid and rainy: pack light cotton clothes, a raincoat or umbrella, waterproof footwear and extra clothes.
A group of students is setting up a rain gauge. Options: 1. the school vegetable garden 2. the terrace of the school building 3. open ground with an elevated platform 4. compound wall of the school 5. verandah of the school laboratory. Finalise the site and give reasons.
Solution
Best site: 3. Open ground with an elevated platform.
A rain gauge must be in an open place, away from trees, walls and buildings, so that rain falls freely into it and is not blocked or splashed in by nearby objects.
The raised platform keeps it above rain splashing from the ground and away from people and animals who may disturb it.
Other sites are unsuitable: the garden may have plants and watering; the terrace can be windy and water splashes off the roof; the compound wall is narrow, near other objects and easy to disturb; the verandah is covered, so rain cannot fall into it.
Open ground with a raised platform: rain falls freely without obstruction or splashing, and the gauge is safe from disturbance.
Using the IMD chart for Jammu and Kashmir (01-02-2024, evening), write a short script to report the weather conditions in different parts of Jammu and Kashmir (temperature range, maximum and minimum temperatures, humidity, precipitation, etc.).
Solution
"Good evening! Here is the weather report for Jammu and Kashmir for 1 February 2024.
It was a cold and wet day across the Valley. Gulmarg was the coldest, with a maximum of only −2.6 °C and a minimum of −7.6 °C, and heavy snowfall. Pahalgam recorded a maximum of 1.1 °C and a minimum of −4.1 °C. Qazigund and Kukernag also stayed cold, with maximum temperatures of 3.2 °C and 2.6 °C, and both received heavy rain and snow — Qazigund about 36 mm of rainfall and 22 cm of snow over 24 hours. Srinagar was a little warmer at 6.5 °C (2.4 degrees below normal) with only a trace of rain. Muzaffarabad was the warmest, with a maximum of 8.5 °C.
Maximum temperatures were about 2 to 5 degrees below normal at most stations, while minimum temperatures were slightly above normal. The air was very humid, with relative humidity between about 76 and 100 per cent. Expect cold, damp conditions to continue: stay warm, and drive carefully on snowy roads. That's all for today!"
A report covering: very cold conditions (Gulmarg coldest, −2.6 °C max, −7.6 °C min; Muzaffarabad warmest, 8.5 °C), rain and snowfall at Qazigund, Kukernag, Pahalgam and Gulmarg, temperatures below normal, and humidity of about 76–100%.
