Features and Factors of Indian Climate
Geography › Indian Monsoon, Climate, Vegetation and Soils · Topic 16.2
India has a tropical monsoon climate, with a unity given by the seasonal reversal of winds and a great regional diversity in temperature and rainfall. The main factors are latitude, distance from the sea, the Himalayas, physiography, the monsoon winds, upper-air circulation with the jet streams, tropical cyclones and western disturbances, and El Niño and La Niña. The Himalayas shield the country from cold continental air and trap the monsoon.
6 min read · UPSC Prelims · Geography · Indian Monsoon, Climate, Vegetation and Soils
At a Glance
- Type Tropical monsoon with four seasons
- Rain season June to September gives most rainfall
- Wettest Mawsynram and Cherrapunji, Meghalaya
- Hottest recorded Phalodi, about 51 degrees Celsius (2016)
- Main barrier Himalayas
- Exam link UPSC Prelims, Geography: Indian Monsoon, Climate, Vegetation and Soils
Where Does It Fit?
This is the second topic of the macro on the Indian monsoon, climate, vegetation and soils. The previous topic explained the monsoon mechanism, and this one lists the features of the Indian climate and the factors that shape them. The next topic describes the four seasons. Previous topic: Mechanism of the Indian Monsoon. Next topic: Seasons of India.
What Are the Features of the Indian Climate?
- Monsoon influence: the winds reverse with the seasons. The southwest monsoon brings the main rains and the northeast winds, which blow from land to sea, are dry, except on the Tamil Nadu coast.
- Unity with diversity: the tropical monsoon climate gives the country a common rhythm, with a sudden break from hot summer to rains, but the details vary: the Thar desert has less than 20 cm a year and Mawsynram in the Khasi Hills has over 1,100 cm; Dras in Ladakh recorded about minus 45 degrees Celsius in 1908, while Phalodi in Rajasthan recorded about 51 degrees Celsius in 2016.
- Four seasons: winter, summer, southwest monsoon and retreating monsoon, as in Seasons of India.
- Concentrated rainfall: about three-quarters of the annual rain comes between June and September, which makes the rainfall uncertain from year to year and unequal across regions, with floods and droughts in the same season.
- Rainfall decreasing from east to west in the plains: moisture is used up as the Bay of Bengal winds move inland, so Kolkata gets more than Delhi, and Punjab and Haryana depend on western disturbances in winter and irrigation in summer.
- Warming trend: IMD data show that 2024 was India’s warmest year on record, with more frequent and longer heatwaves and more extreme rain events, as in Heat Transfer and Heat Budget of the Earth.
Which Factors Determine the Climate of India?
| Factor | Influence |
|---|---|
| Latitude | The Tropic of Cancer divides the country; the south receives high insolation all year, while the north is subtropical with a larger annual range and cold winters; coastal areas have an equable climate |
| Distance from the sea | Coasts have a maritime climate with small temperature ranges and early heavy rain; interiors, such as Nagpur and Delhi, have a continental climate with extremes |
| The Himalayas | Block the cold, dry air masses of Central Asia in winter, trap the monsoon winds to give rain to the plains and the north-east, split the Bay of Bengal branch into two, and direct winds to the north-west; without them north India would be a desert, as in Himalayan Ranges – Shiwaliks, Lesser, Greater and Trans-Himalaya |
| Physiography | Relief decides the rainfall: the windward Western Ghats and Meghalaya receive over 250 cm, while the leeward Deccan interior is in a rain shadow with less than 60 cm; Rajasthan and Gujarat have no barrier across the monsoon winds, which blow parallel to the Aravallis, so the Thar is dry |
| Monsoon winds | The dominant factor; sudden onset, gradual advance, gradual retreat and seasonal reversal, as in Mechanism of the Indian Monsoon |
| Upper-air circulation | The westerly jet brings western disturbances in winter; the easterly jet helps the burst of the monsoon in summer, as in Jet Streams |
| Tropical cyclones and western disturbances | Cyclones from the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea, strongest in October to November, bring rain to the east coast; western disturbances give winter rain and snow to the north-west |
| El Niño, La Niña and IOD | El Niño tends to reduce the monsoon and La Niña to increase it, as in El Niño and Its Effects |
Why Do the Plains Get Less Rain Towards the West, and Why Is Mawsynram So Wet?
Winds that move up the Ganga plain from the Bay of Bengal lose moisture at each low pressure and arrive at Delhi with little. Punjab and Haryana would be desert-like in summer without irrigation, but they receive winter rain from western disturbances, as in Temperate Cyclones. Mawsynram and Cherrapunji in the Khasi Hills of Meghalaya are among the wettest places on Earth, with an annual average above 11,000 mm at Mawsynram, because the Bay of Bengal winds are funnelled into the narrow, south-facing mountain wall and lifted sharply, a combination of funnelling and orographic uplift, as in Precipitation and Types of Rainfall. The Deccan interior in the rain shadow of the Western Ghats, Tamil Nadu in the summer, Rajasthan and Gujarat, and Ladakh in the rain shadow of the Himalaya are dry or semi-arid. As an analytical point, the diversity of the climate means that no single average describes India: the same monsoon creates floods in Assam and drought in Marathwada, and so adaptation must be regional, with different crops, water systems and warnings in different belts.
Why Is This Topic Important?
- Core topic Factors asked often
- Reasoning Why Thar is dry, why Mawsynram is wet
- Climate change Warming and extremes
What Came Next?
The next topic describes the four seasons of India. Next topic: Seasons of India.
Key People and Terms
- Monsoon climate Climate with seasonal wind reversal
- Rain shadow Dry leeward area
- Equable climate Small temperature range near the sea
- Continental climate Extremes away from the sea
- Funnelling Narrowing of wind and cloud into a valley
- Western disturbance Winter low from the Mediterranean
Exam Corner
Points to Remember
- About three-quarters of the rain falls from June to September.
- The Himalayas block cold winds and trap the monsoon.
- Mawsynram is the wettest place.
- Leeward Deccan is in a rain shadow.
- Punjab gets winter rain from western disturbances.
Do Not Confuse With
- Maritime and continental climate Near the sea versus interior
- Monsoon winds and western disturbances Summer rain versus winter rain
- Latitude and altitude effect Distance from the equator versus height
Memory Hook
Latitude, sea, Himalaya, hills, monsoon, jets, storms, and Pacific: eight hands shape the climate.
Mains Angle
Questions ask for reasoning on regional contrasts. These points add depth.
- Barrier Himalaya role
- Relief Windward and leeward
- Variation Regional adaptation
A Question You May Face
An original practice question, not a past paper question.
“Account for the regional variations in the climate of India, with reference to the role of the Himalayas and the Western Ghats.”
How to Answer
- Type Tropical monsoon.
- Factors Latitude, sea, relief.
- Barriers Himalaya and Ghats.
- Variation Thar to Meghalaya.
GS Relevance
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the type of climate of India?
India has a tropical monsoon climate, characterised by the seasonal reversal of winds, a hot summer, a rainy season from June to September and a mild to cold winter. Within this common pattern there is great regional variation in temperature and rainfall because of relief, latitude and distance from the sea.
How do the Himalayas affect the climate of India?
The Himalayas block the cold, dry winds from Central Asia in winter, which keeps north India warm, and they trap the moist monsoon winds in summer, causing rain over the Ganga plain and the north-east. They also split the Bay of Bengal branch of the monsoon. Without them north India would be much drier and colder.
Why does rainfall decrease from east to west in the northern plains?
The Bay of Bengal branch of the monsoon loses moisture at every low pressure area as it moves west along the Ganga plain. Distance from the sea increases, so Kolkata receives much more rain than Delhi, and Punjab and Haryana receive little monsoon rain and depend on winter western disturbances and irrigation.
Why is the Thar desert dry?
The Thar gets little rain because the monsoon winds blow parallel to the Aravalli range and not across it, so there is no orographic uplift, and the area has no convection cell. The subtropical high pressure and sinking air from the subtropical jet in winter also stop rain.
Why do Mawsynram and Cherrapunji get so much rain?
Mawsynram and Cherrapunji in the Khasi Hills of Meghalaya face the Bay of Bengal winds, which are funnelled into the narrow, funnel-like southern slopes and forced upward sharply. This funnelling and orographic uplift produce an annual average rainfall of over 11,000 millimetres at Mawsynram.
PYQ Practice — Statement Analysis
1 The Himalayas prevent cold Central Asian air from entering India in winter.
They act as a climatic divide.
2 Rajasthan receives heavy rain because monsoon winds cross the Aravallis.
The winds blow parallel to them.
3 Most of India's rainfall falls in the winter season.
It falls from June to September.
4 Coastal areas have a more equable climate than interior areas.
The sea moderates temperature.
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