Chapter 3: Climates of India (Geography)

(1) Latitude – (b) creates different climates in the north and south

(2) Altitude – (c) keeps higher places cooler

(3) Proximity to the ocean – (d) moderates the temperature

(4) Monsoon winds – (a) brings wet air to India during summer

(1)–(b), (2)–(c), (3)–(d), (4)–(a)

a) Weather is the condition of the atmosphere (temperature, rain, wind, humidity) at a place over a short time, a day or a week; it changes often. Climate is the average weather of a place over a long period, usually 30 years or more.

b) Water heats up and cools down more slowly than land. The sea keeps coastal places cooler in summer and warmer in winter, and sea breezes carry this effect to the land, so temperatures there are moderate. Places far inland heat up and cool down quickly, so they have extreme temperatures.

c) The south-west monsoon winds blow from the sea from June to September and bring most of India's rainfall, which is vital for farming and water supply. The north-east (winter) monsoon brings dry winds to most of India but rain to Tamil Nadu from October to December. The monsoon decides India's seasons: a hot dry summer, a wet rainy season and a cool dry winter.

d) Chennai is close to the equator (low latitude), at sea level and by the sea, so it receives strong sunshine all year and the sea keeps it warm. Leh is much farther north and at a very high altitude (about 3,500 m) in the Himalayas, where the air is thin and cold, so it stays cold for most of the year.

a) Weather is short-term, climate is the long-term average. b) Water heats and cools slowly, moderating coastal temperatures. c) Monsoon winds bring most of India's rain and shape its seasons. d) Chennai is near the equator, at sea level by the sea; Leh is farther north and very high up.

Leh: cold desert (mountains); Chennai: hot, humid (coast); Delhi: extreme (inland plains); Panaji: warm, very rainy (west coast); Jaipur: hot, dry (near desert).

On an outline map of India:

• Summer (south-west monsoon, June–September): draw arrows from the south-west, over the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal, towards the land. One branch hits the Western Ghats (heavy rain on the west coast), and the other moves up the Bay of Bengal towards the north-east and then westwards along the Ganga plains, stopped by the Himalayas. Label "wet winds from the sea".
• Winter (north-east monsoon, October–December): draw arrows from the north-east, from land towards the sea. Label "dry winds from the land"; show a small arrow picking up moisture over the Bay of Bengal and bringing rain to Tamil Nadu.

Summer: arrows from the south-west, sea to land, bringing rain (Western Ghats branch and Bay of Bengal branch). Winter: arrows from the north-east, land to sea, mostly dry, with rain on the Tamil Nadu coast.

Festivals to include on the poster:

Draw pictures (dancers, crops, kites, decorated pots) and label each festival with its month and region.

Include harvest and weather festivals such as Baisakhi, Onam, Pongal, Makar Sankranti and Lohri, Bihu, Nuakhai and Teej, with pictures, months and regions.

15 June

The sky has been cloudy for two days and the radio says the monsoon will reach our village within a week. Today I repaired the bunds around my fields so that rainwater stays in the paddy fields. My son and I cleaned the channels so that extra water can flow out and the fields do not flood. I checked the seeds of paddy I saved last year and bought some more from the cooperative. The plough and the bullocks are ready for ploughing as soon as the first rains soften the soil. I also covered the stored grain and fodder with plastic sheets and repaired the roof of the cattle shed. I hope the rains come on time and are neither too little nor too much. Tomorrow I will check the weather forecast again on my phone.

Describe repairing bunds and channels, preparing seeds, ploughs and bullocks, protecting stored grain and fodder, repairing roofs, and following the weather forecast.

Cyclones on India's east coast

Causes: cyclones form over warm ocean water in the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea, mostly before and after the monsoon. Warm, moist air rises, creating very low pressure; winds rush in and begin to spin, forming a huge storm with very strong winds and heavy rain.

Impacts: strong winds uproot trees and electric poles and damage houses; heavy rain and the storm surge (sea water pushed onto the land) cause floods; crops are destroyed, fishermen cannot go to sea, roads and power lines are cut, and people may lose their lives and homes. Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal are often affected.

Actions to reduce the impact:

• Individuals: follow weather warnings, keep an emergency kit (torch, food, water, medicines, documents), move to safe shelters when asked, and do not go to the sea.
• Communities: plant mangroves and trees along the coast, help the elderly and disabled evacuate, and train volunteers for rescue.
• Government: give early warnings (IMD), build cyclone shelters and strong embankments, evacuate people in time (as Odisha did during Cyclone Fani in 2019), and provide quick relief and rebuilding.

E.g. cyclones: caused by warm ocean water and low pressure; they bring strong winds, heavy rain and storm surges; reduce harm by heeding warnings and keeping kits (individuals), planting mangroves and helping evacuation (communities), and early warnings, shelters and timely evacuation (government).