Very Short Question Answer: Climate

Q1: What does 'climate' refer to?
Ans: Climate refers to the sum total of weather conditions and their usual variations over a large area for a long period of time - usually taken as about 30 years. It describes average patterns of temperature, rainfall, wind and humidity rather than day-to-day changes.
Q2: What does 'weather' refer to?
Ans: Weather refers to the state of the atmosphere over an area at any given time. It includes short-term conditions such as temperature, wind, humidity and precipitation, and can change from hour to hour or day to day.
Q3: The elements of weather and climate are the same. What are these elements?
Ans: These elements are - temperature, atmospheric pressure, wind, humidity and precipitation. Together they determine both short-term weather and long-term climate patterns.
Q4: What is the climate of India described as?
Ans: The climate of India is described as the monsoon type, characterised by a seasonal reversal of wind direction and distinct wet and dry seasons.
Q5: What does monsoon refer to?
Ans: Monsoon refers to the seasonal reversal in wind direction during a year. This reversal brings heavy rains in the wet season and drier conditions in the dry season for many parts of India.
Q6: When does most parts of the country receive rainfall?
Ans: Most parts of the country receive rainfall from June to September, when the southwest monsoon is active over India.
Q7: When does the Tamil Nadu coast get rainfall?
Ans: The Tamil Nadu coast gets most of its rainfall during October and November, caused mainly by the northeast (retreating) monsoon rather than the southwest monsoon.
Q8: Which areas experience less contrast in temperature conditions?
Ans: Coastal areas experience less contrast in temperature conditions because the sea has a moderating influence, preventing very high or very low temperatures compared with inland regions.
Q9: What do you mean by the Coriolis force?
Ans: Coriolis force is an apparent force caused by the Earth's rotation. It causes moving air and water to be deflected to the right in the Northern Hemisphere and to the left in the Southern Hemisphere, affecting wind directions and large-scale weather systems.
Q10: What is known as the Southern Oscillation or SO?
Ans: The Southern Oscillation is the periodic change in atmospheric pressure conditions between the tropical Pacific and surrounding regions. It is measured as pressure differences (for example, between Tahiti and Darwin) and is closely linked to climate variations such as El Niño and La Niña events.
Q11: How is the intensity of the monsoon predicted?
Ans: The intensity of the monsoon is predicted by computing the pressure difference between Tahiti (in the Pacific) and Darwin (in northern Australia). If this pressure difference is negative, it generally indicates a below-average and late monsoon over India.
Q12: What is known as 'mahawat'?
Ans: The total amount of winter rainfall is locally known as mahawat. Although small in quantity, it is very important for rabi crops that are sown in winter and harvested in spring.
Q13: What is known as 'Kaal Baisakhi'?
Ans: Violent thunderstorms in the Gangetic plains are locally known as Kaal Baisakhi. They are short-lived but intense, usually accompanied by strong winds and heavy rain, and occur in the pre-monsoon or early monsoon period.
Q14: What are 'mango showers'?
Ans: Towards the close of the summer season, pre-monsoon showers occur, especially in Kerala and Karnataka. These showers help in the early ripening of mangoes and are therefore called mango showers.
Q15: How is the weather at the retreat of the monsoon?
Ans: The retreat of the monsoon is marked by clearer skies and often a rise in daytime temperature. Overall rainfall decreases and conditions become drier as the monsoon withdraws.
Q16: What is Mawsynram reputed for?
Ans: Mawsynram is reputed as the wettest place on Earth and is also known for its impressive stalagmite and stalactite caves formed by heavy and persistent rainfall.
Q17: Name two regions where rainfall is low.
Ans: Rainfall is low in the interior of the Deccan Plateau and in the region to the east of the Sahyadris (a rain-shadow area).
Q18: What do you mean by October heat?
Ans: October heat refers to the oppressive daytime conditions that occur in October due to a combination of relatively high temperature and lingering humidity soon after the monsoon withdraws.
Q19: Name the two branches of the monsoon.
Ans: The two main branches of the monsoon are the Arabian Sea branch and the Bay of Bengal branch.
Q20: What is known as the 'burst' of the monsoon?
Ans: Around the time of the monsoon's arrival, the normal rainfall increases suddenly and continues steadily for several days. This sudden start of continuous heavy rains is known as the burst of the monsoon and signals the beginning of the rainy season in many regions.
Q21: When does the Bay of Bengal branch of the monsoon arrive in Assam?
Ans: The Bay of Bengal branch of the monsoon typically arrives in Assam in the first week of June, bringing heavy rainfall to the northeast early in the season.
Q22: When does Delhi receive the monsoon showers and from which branch?
Ans: Delhi generally receives the monsoon showers from the Bay of Bengal branch by the end of June as the monsoon progresses westwards across the plains.
Q23: Mention summer months.
Ans: From March to May it is the hot weather season or summer in India, with peak temperatures often occurring in May.
Q24: The peninsular region does not have a well-defined cold season. Why?
Ans: There is hardly any noticeable seasonal change in temperature during winters in the peninsular region because the surrounding sea moderates temperature changes, keeping winters mild and preventing sharp drops in temperature.
Q25: When does the monsoon reach Himachal Pradesh and the rest of the country?
Ans: The monsoon generally reaches Himachal Pradesh and most other parts of the country by mid-July, after progressing from the northeast and central plains westwards and northwards.