Climate & Weather

Climate

Sum total of weather conditions and variations over a large area for a long period (more than 30 years).

Weather

State of the atmosphere over an area at any point of time.

Elements of climate & weather:

🌡️ Temperature
Atmospheric pressure
Wind
Humidity
Precipitation

Climate of India

India has a Monsoon-type climate.
This type of climate is mainly found in South and Southeast Asia.
India has overall unity in its climate pattern, but there are considerable regional variations.
Two important elements:
1. Temperature
2. Precipitation

Regional Variation in Temperature 🌡️

Region	Temperature example
Rajasthan Desert (summer)	Up to 50°C
Pahalgam, J&K (summer)	Around 20°C
Drass, J&K (winter night)	As low as –45°C
Thiruvananthapuram (winter)	Around 22°C

This shows the wide regional variation in temperature across India.

❓ Do You Know?

Origin of the word Monsoon

The word Monsoon is derived from the Arabic word “mausim”, meaning season.
Monsoon refers to the seasonal reversal in wind direction during a year.

⛵Hippalus uses the monsoon winds for direct sailing to India c. 45–47 CE

•Kushan Empire emerges as a major power 1st–2nd century CE

•Kanishka I's reign usually placed around 2nd century CE

•Kanishka becomes a major Kushan ruler c. 2nd century CE

🌡️ Day & Night Temperature

Thar Desert: Very large difference between day and night temperatures.
- Day → may rise to 50°C
- Night → may fall to nearly 15°C
Andaman & Nicobar Islands and Kerala: Very small difference between day and night temperatures.

Precipitation 🌨️❄️⛈️

Precipitation means water falling from the atmosphere to the Earth’s surface.

Types of Precipitation 🌧️

•Rainfall 🌧️ – Water falls as liquid droplets.

•Snowfall ❄️ – Water falls as ice crystals or snowflakes.

•Sleet 🌨️ – Small ice particles formed when raindrops freeze.

•Hail 🧊 – Balls/lumps of ice falling during thunderstorms.

Precipitation varies in:

Form
Amount
Seasonal distribution

Important examples:

Q. [Homework] Watch the Kashmir tourism advertisement at home and read about PoK (Pakistan-occupied Kashmir). Do you think India will be able to bring this region under its control from Pakistan?