The Climate

Grade 09
Class Notes
 The Climate

1 Weather and Climate

1.1 What is weather?
1.2 What is climate?

2 Factors Affecting Climate

2.1 Latitude
2.2 Altitude
2.3 Continentality
2.4 Wind movement
2.5 Land and water relationship

3 Monsoon
3.1 What is monsoon?
3.2 Factors affecting monsoon /
India’s climate
3.3 Monsoon mechanism

4 Seasons of India
4.1 Cold weather season
4.2 Hot weather season
4.3 Advancing monsoon season
4.4 Retreating monsoon season

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 1 Weather and Climate

1.1 What Is Weather?

Weather is the hour-to-hour and day-to-day condition of the

atmosphere at a particular location.

Foggy morning Sunny noon Rainy evening

1.2 What Is Climate?

Climate is the average weather condition of a place for a longer

period (30–40 years). India has a tropical monsoon climate.

Kenya: Hot climate Russia: Cold climate

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 2 Factors Affecting Climate

2.1 Latitude

• Mainland India stretches

from 8°4'N to 37°6'N,
divided by the
Tropic of Cancer.
• The northern part lies in
the subtropical belt,
while the southern region
is in the tropical belt.

2.2 Altitude

• Generally, temperature
decreases as altitude
increases.
• Normal lapse rate: The
rate of decrease of
temperature per
kilometre (6oC/km).

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2.3 Continentality

• Place closer to oceans

and sea: Neither too hot
nor too cold
Extreme
Climate (moderate climate)

• Place away from oceans

and sea: Extreme hot or
Moderate Climate Bay extreme cold
of Bengal (extreme climate)
Arabian
Sea

2.4 Wind Movement

LP HP

High Temperature Low

Low Temperature

Winds move from the high-pressure zone to the low-pressure

zone.

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2.5 Land and Water Relationship

Land heats up and cools down faster than water.

During Day: Sea Breeze

Land heats: Low-pressure zone

Ocean remains cool: High-pressure zone
Winds move from ocean to land.

During Night: Land Breeze

Land cools down: High-pressure zone

Ocean remains warm: Low-pressure zone
Winds move from land to ocean.

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 3 Monsoon

3.1 What Is Monsoon?

A major wind system that seasonally reverses its direction. The

word Monsoon is derived from the Arabic word Mausim which
means seasons.

During Summer: Sea to Land

During Winter: Land to Sea

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3.2 Factors Affecting Monsoon / India’s Climate

Intense Heating

The intense solar heating at the Equator creates a low-pressure region

where winds converge from high-pressure regions.
The intense heating band shifts northward and southward due to the
apparent movement of the Sun.

Role of the Mountains

Windward

Leeward

• Mountains play a crucial role in causing rainfall in India. The Himalayas

act as a barrier to cold winds from Central Asia and block monsoon
winds, resulting in abundant rainfall in the Indian subcontinent.
• The Western Ghats obstruct the monsoon winds, causing heavy rainfall
on the west coast (windward side).
• The Purvanchal Hills force the moisture-laden winds to rise, leading to
heavy rainfall in Cherrapunji and Mawsynram.
• The Aravalli Range offers little obstruction to monsoon winds, resulting in
arid conditions in western Rajasthan.

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 Tropical Cyclones

Tropical cyclones originating in the

Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal
cause heavy rainfall in peninsular
India, particularly the east and west
coasts. These cyclones, occurring
during specific seasons, are more
intense than temperate cyclones.

Western Disturbances

Western disturbances, originating

in the Mediterranean Sea, moving
eastwards, influenced by
jet streams.

These disturbances impact cold

weather season in northern
plains, including Punjab, Haryana,
and the western Himalayan
region, bringing beneficial rainfall
for wheat cultivation.

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 Jet Streams

Jet Streams
Narrow bands of strong wind in the
upper layers of the atmosphere.

Altitude:
Jet streams blow around 8 km to
15km high from the Earth’s surface.

Speed:
Jet streams can travel at a speed
of 100 km/h to 150 km/h.

Types of Jet Streams

Westerly jet stream Easterly jet stream

During winter, westerly jet streams

bring disturbances to India,
resulting in winter rains in the In summer, easterly jet streams
Northwestern plains. They also are instrumental in the onset of
contribute to hailstorms, heavy the monsoon season.
snowfall, and cold waves in
the region.

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 El Nino

Occurring off the coast of Peru, El

Nino is a warm ocean current
associated with increased surface
temperatures in the Pacific Ocean.
It influences the global climate and
weakens the southwest monsoon
in India, causing droughts and crop
failures while potentially leading to
floods elsewhere.

La Nina

Known as the sister of El Nino, La

Nina refers to the accumulation of
cold water in the central and
eastern parts of the Pacific Ocean.
It brings beneficial heavy showers
to India, displaying opposite
climatic conditions compared
LA NINA to El Nino.

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3.3 Monsoon Mechanism

South-West Monsoon

3
Monsoon
winds blow
1
from high Low Pressure
pressure to low develops over
pressure. Indian
landmass due
to intense
2 heating.
High Pressure
develops in the
Indian Ocean.

North-East Monsoon

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Southwest
monsoon
1
winds get High pressure
replaced by develops over
the Northeast Indian
trade winds. landmass due
to the
absence of
2 intense
Low pressure heating.
develops in the
Indian ocean.

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 4 Seasons of India

Dec Feb Mar May Jun Sep Oct Nov

Cold Hot weather Southwest Retreating

weather season monsoon monsoon
season season season

4.1 Cold Weather Season

• Slanting sunrays: Low temperature in India

• Coldest month: January
• General conditions: Warm days, cool nights, clear skies, low
humidity and cool breeze
• Coastal regions of Tamil Nadu receive rainfall.

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4.2 Hot Weather Season

• Direct sunrays: High

temperature in India
• Warmest month: May
• General conditions:
Very hot and dry, with
occasional thunderstorms
and hailstorms

• Northern India:
Average temperature =
40 °C–45 °C
Temperature
• Southern India: 45°C
Average temperature =
38 °C Temperature
• This temperature 38°C
Deccan
variation is caused due to Plateau
moderating effect of
oceans and seas.

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 Key Characteristics of Hot Weather Season

Loo: Strong, hot, and dry local Dust storms lower the
winds that blow in the day temperature and bring rain
over the North and and cool breeze to
Northwest India. North India.

Mango showers
Kal Baisakhi

Pre-monsoon showers in
Thunderstorms in summers in
South India (Kerala and
West Bengal: Kal Baisakhi
Karnataka): Mango showers

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4.3 Advancing Monsoon Season

• Also known as Southwest

monsoon due to the
direction of the wind.
• Reaches India: First week
of June
• Covers whole India: 15
June
• As the monsoon winds
arrive, it suddenly starts to
rain heavily with thunder
and lightning across
various regions for several
days.
• Monsoon burst: The
sudden arrival of rainfall

Advancing Monsoon Journey

Southwest monsoon winds Monsoon winds bifurcate

arrive in South India in the into the Arabian Sea branch
first week of June. and the Bay of Bengal
branch.

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 The Bay of Bengal Branch Monsoon Journey

The Bay of Bengal branch

The Bay of Bengal branch
further splits and moves
strikes West Bengal and
towards Brahmaputra
moves towards the Ganga
valley. Mawsynram receives
and Punjab Plains.
very high rainfall.

The Arabian Sea Branch Monsoon Journey

The first branch is The second branch The third branch

obstructed by causes rainfall in flows along the
the Western Ghats the Narmada-Tapi Aravallis and
and causes heavy river valley in causes scanty
rainfall on the Central India. rainfall in western
windward side. Rajasthan.

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4.4 Retreating Monsoon Season

• Slanting sunrays: The

temperature in northern
parts of India decreases.
• Withdrawal of the low-
pressure zone from the
Indian subcontinent.
• Southwest monsoon winds
start to retreat, and
Northeast winds set up.
• Experienced in Tamil Nadu

Characteristics of Retreating Monsoon

• Daytime: High temperatures, Night-time: Low temperatures

• Due to heavy rainfall between June–September, the land is still
moist, causing high humidity.
• The high temperature and high humidity experienced in the
month of October is known as October Heat.

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 Important Questions

Question 1:
Differentiate between weather and climate.

Question 2:
What are the various factors that affect the climate?

Question 3:
What are the various factors that affect the monsoon season?

Question 4:
Write a short note on the following:
(a) Land and water relationship
(b) Western disturbance
(C) Jet streams
(d) Monsoon mechanism
(e) Advancing monsoon

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