Indias climate can be classified as a hot tropical country, except the northern states of Himachal Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir in the north and Sikkim in the northeastern hills, which have a cooler, more continental influenced climate.
In most of India summer is very hot. It begins in April and continues till the beginning of October, when the monsoon rains start to fall. The heat peaks in June with temperatures in the northern plains and the west reach 45° C and more. The monsoons hit the country during this period too, beginning 1st of June when they are supposed to find the Kerala coast, moving further inland from day to day. Moisture laden trade winds sweep the country bringing heavy rains and thunderstorms; sometimes these monsoon rains can be very heavy, causing floodings and damage, especially along the big Rivers of India, Bramaputhra and Ganges.
The plains in the north and even the barren countryside of Rajasthan have a cold wave every year in December-January. Minimum temperatures could dip below 5°C but maximum temperatures usually do not fall lower than 12°C. In the northern high altitude areas of the northern mountains it snows through the winter and even summer months are only mildly warm.
Typhoons are usually not an danger, these tropical storms are quite seldom in India. The Typhoon Season is from August to November; the East coast of India has the highest Typhoon risk.
Required clothing:
Lightweight cotton clothing is advised throughout the year, with an umbrella or raincoat for the monsoon season. Be prepared for high temperatures and humidity, no matter where you go. A sweater and warmer clothing is advised for cooler evenings. Warmer clothing is advised for the northern mountainous areas of India, which can have quite cold winters.
Koeppen-Geiger classification:
The Climate of India can be divided in different climate zones. The eastern part of India and the west coast can be classified as Aw climate, a hot, tropical climate with all months above 18°C and a dry period in the winter. The southern Tip of india can be classified as Am climate, a hot tropical Rainforest climate with monsoon rains and all months above 18°C. Central and Northwest India have aBSh climate, a dry Steppe climate with an annual average Temperature above 18°C. Finally, The northern mountainous areas can be classified as Cfa climate; a Temperated, humid climate with tha warmest month above 22°C.
Climate of India
The climate of India may be broadly described as tropical monsoon. India's climate is affected by two seasonal winds - the north-east monsoon and the south-west monsoon. The north-east monsoon commonly known as winter monsoon blows from land to the sea whereas south-west monsoon known as summer monsoon blows from sea to land after crossing the Indian Ocean, the Arabian sea and the bay of Bengal. The south-west monsoon brings most of the rainfall during the year in the country.
Cycle of seasons: There are four seasons in India: winter (January-February), summer (March-May), Advancing monsoon (June-September) and post monsoon also known as north-east monsoon in the southern peninsula (October-December).
Winter: December to February is the wintertime in almost all of India. At this time of the year, days are cold with average temperature of 10-15 degree Centigrade, but it can drop down to below zero degrees Centigrade in some higher ranges of northern India.
Summer: From March to June is the summer session in India. It is a time period when rays of the sun fall vertically on the Indian subcontinent. The average temperature is around 32 degree Centigrade but in western region of India the maximum temperature can be far above the average. In summer session, North-India is very interesting to people. Here the average temperature is very comfortable for living. Many people, comes to visit in north India, mainly Sikkim, Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh for enjoy the natural beauty of summer.
Advancing Monsoon: Months of June, July, August and September form the core of Advancing Monsoon in almost all parts of the country. The monsoon approaches with moisture laden winds; this sudden approach is marked with violent thunderstorms and lightening, known as 'break' of the monsoon.
Post 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 gone from major part of India.
The climate of India may be broadly described as tropical monsoon. India's climate is affected by two seasonal winds - the north-east monsoon and the south-west monsoon. The north-east monsoon commonly known as winter monsoon blows from land to the sea whereas south-west monsoon known as summer monsoon blows from sea to land after crossing the Indian Ocean, the Arabian sea and the bay of Bengal. The south-west monsoon brings most of the rainfall during the year in the country.
Weather in India
Cycle of seasons: There are four seasons in India: winter (January-February), summer (March-May), Advancing monsoon (June-September) and post monsoon also known as north-east monsoon in the southern peninsula (October-December).
Winter: December to February is the wintertime in almost all of India. At this time of the year, days are cold with average temperature of 10-15 degree Centigrade, but it can drop down to below zero degrees Centigrade in some higher ranges of northern India.
Summer: From March to June is the summer session in India. It is a time period when rays of the sun fall vertically on the Indian subcontinent. The average temperature is around 32 degree Centigrade but in western region of India the maximum temperature can be far above the average. In summer session, North-India is very interesting to people. Here the average temperature is very comfortable for living. Many people, comes to visit in north India, mainly Sikkim, Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh for enjoy the natural beauty of summer.
Advancing Monsoon: Months of June, July, August and September form the core of Advancing Monsoon in almost all parts of the country. The monsoon approaches with moisture laden winds; this sudden approach is marked with violent thunderstorms and lightening, known as 'break' of the monsoon.
Post 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 gone from major part of India.
Factors Affecting India's Climate
There are certain factors which affect the climate of India:
Latitude: The Tropic of Cancer passes through the middle of India and extends from Mizoram in the east and Rann of Kutch in the west; and considerably affects the climate of the country. To the south of the Tropic of Cancer lies the southern part of the country which belongs to the tropical area and to its north lies the northern half of India which belongs to the sub-tropical area. Therefore, India experiences both sub-tropical and tropical climates.
Altitude: In the north, India is bounded by mountains with an average height of 6,000 metres and in the south, has a vast coastline with maximum elevation of about 30 metres. The Himalayas act as a barrier against the cold winds from Central Asia. Therefore due to the altitude of these mountains, the Indian subcontinent experiences milder winters than Central Asia.
Monsoon Winds: The 'monsoon winds' is the most dominating factor influencing the climate of India. It is often called the monsoon climate. A reversal in the monsoon winds can bring a change in the season of the country, for instance the extreme summer season suddenly changing to the rainy or monsoon season. The entire country receives rainfall due to the south-west summer monsoons from the Bay of Bengal and Arabian Sea.
Western Disturbances and Tropical Cyclones: Large parts of peninsular India get influenced by the tropical cyclones which originate in the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal. Most of the cyclones originate in the Bay of Bengal and influence the climatic conditions at the time of the south-west monsoon season. The western disturbances originate over the Mediterranean Sea and influence the weather conditions in the Western Himalayan region.
Climate Related Calamities
Climate related calamities are a great cause of loss to the life and property. Some of the natural disasters that have been experienced in the country are as follows:
Landslides and Floods: Floods are the most common natural disaster in India and are caused due to the inadequate capacity within the river banks to carry high flows which are brought down from the upper catchment because of the heavy rains. Almost the entire country is flood prone and the precipitation events like torrential rains and flash floods have become common in central India in the last few decades. But, the regions located in the Indo-Gangetic plains and northeast India are more prone to floods. Erratic, excess or untimely monsoon rains can kill thousands of people and also harm the agriculture of the country.
Droughts: Drought is a situation which arises due to the scarcity of water. In India, agriculture depends on the rains or the monsoon season as a source of water. But, the shortage or failure of water results in the below-average crop yields. Climatic factors such as high wind, high temperature and low humidity also add to the severity of drought in India. Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Odisha, some parts of Maharashtra and Karnataka are some of the drought-prone areas in the country. India has witnessed many famines such as Bengal famine of 1770, 1876-77, 1899 and 1943 which took lives of millions of people.
Tropical Cyclones: These are the most devastating natural disasters which result in massive loss of life and property. In India, the lives of the coastal habitants are highly affected due to cyclones. The areas near the Bay of Bengal and Indian Ocean are the most cyclone-prone regions of the country. Coastal regions of Odisha, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh are more exposed to cyclones. During the time of cyclone, heavy rains, winds with high speed and storm surge are also experienced which also affect the lives of the people as it becomes difficult for them to get relief and supplies during this phenomenon. A super cyclone, Cyclone 05B that struck Odisha on 29 October 1999 is considered to be the deadliest cyclone in the country in the past few decades. It was considered equivalent to Category 5 hurricane.
Climatic regions in India
The various climatic regions of India are given below:
Climatic regions in India
The various climatic regions of India are given below:
Name of climatic region
States or territories
Tropical Rainforest
Assam and parts of the Sahyadri Mountain Range
Tropical Savannah
Sahyadri Mountain Range and parts of Maharashtra
Tropical and subtropical steppe
Parts of Punjab and Gujarat
Tropical Desert
Most parts of Rajasthan
Moist subtropical with winter
Parts of Punjab, Assam, and Rajasthan
Mountain climate
Parts of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttaranchal
Drought
Rajasthan, Gujarat, and Haryana
Tropical semi-arid steppe
Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, and other parts of South India.
Indias climate can be classified as a hot tropical country, except the northern states of Himachal Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir in the north and Sikkim in the northeastern hills, which have a cooler, more continental influenced climate.
In most of India summer is very hot. It begins in April and continues till the beginning of October, when the monsoon rains start to fall. The heat peaks in June with temperatures in the northern plains and the west reach 45° C and more. The monsoons hit the country during this period too, beginning 1st of June when they are supposed to find the Kerala coast, moving further inland from day to day. Moisture laden trade winds sweep the country bringing heavy rains and thunderstorms; sometimes these monsoon rains can be very heavy, causing floodings and damage, especially along the big Rivers of India, Bramaputhra and Ganges.
The plains in the north and even the barren countryside of Rajasthan have a cold wave every year in December-January. Minimum temperatures could dip below 5°C but maximum temperatures usually do not fall lower than 12°C. In the northern high altitude areas of the northern mountains it snows through the winter and even summer months are only mildly warm.
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