In the last two chapters you have read about the landforms and the drainage of our country. These are the two of the three basic elements that one learns about the natural environment of any area. In this chapter you will learn about the third, that is, the atmospheric conditions that prevail over our country. Why do we wear woollens in December or why it is hot and uncomfortable in the month of May, and why it rains in June - July? The answers to all these questions can be found out by studying about the climate of India.
Climate refers to the sum total of weather conditions and variations over a large area for a long period of time (more than thirty years). Weather refers to the state of the atmosphere over an area at any point of time. The elements of weather and climate are the same, i.e. temperature, atmospheric pressure, wind, humidity and precipitation. You may have observed that the weather conditions fluctuate very often even within a day. But there is some common pattern over a few weeks or months, i.e. days are cool or hot, windy or calm, cloudy or bright, and wet or dry. On the basis of the generalised monthly atmospheric conditions, the year is divided into seasons such as winter, summer or rainy seasons.
The world is divided into a number of climatic regions. Do you know what type of climate India has and why it is so? We will learn about it in this chapter.
The climate of India is described as the ‘monsoon’ type. In Asia, this type of climate is found mainly in the south and the southeast. Despite an overall unity in the general pattern, there are perceptible regional variations in climatic conditions within the country. Let us take two important elements – temperature and precipitation, and examine how they vary from place to place and season to season.
In summer, the mercury occasionally touches 50°C in some parts of the Rajasthan desert, whereas it may be around 20°C in Pahalgam in Jammu and Kashmir. On a winter night, temperature at Drass in Jammu and Kashmir may be as low as minus 45°C. Thiruvananthapuram, on the other hand, may have a temperature of 22°C.
Click on the below link to download NCERT Class 9 Geography Contemporary India Climate
