FAQs On Class 11 Geography Southwest Monsoon Season

Onset of Monsoon

During April and May the sun shines vertically over the Tropic of Cancer, the large landmass in the north of the Indian Ocean. The differential heating of land and sea during the summer months is the mechanism that sets the stage for the monsoon winds to drift toward the subcontinent. The shift in the position of the ITCZ (Inter Tropical Convergence Zone) is also related to the phenomenon of the withdrawal of the westerly jet stream from its position over the north Indian plain, south of the Himalayas. The easterly jet stream sets in along 15°°N latitude only after the western jet stream has withdrawn itself from the region. This easterly jet stream is held responsible for the burst of the monsoon in India. The southwest monsoon sets in over the Kerala coast by 1st June and moves swiftly to reach Mumbai and Kolkata between 10th and 13th June. By mid-July, southwest monsoon engulfs the entire subcontinent...

Factors affecting South West Monsoon

Differential heating and cooling of land and water...

Rainfall During the South West Monsoon Season

The rain in the southwest monsoon season begins rather abruptly. One result of the first rain is that it brings down the temperature substantially. This sudden onset of the moisture-laden winds associated with violent thunder and lightening, is often termed as the “break” or “burst” of the monsoons. The monsoon may burst in the first week of June in the coastal areas of Kerala, Karnataka, Goa and Maharashtra while in the interior parts of the country, it may be delayed to the first week of July. The day temperature registers a decline of 5°C to 8°C between mid June and mid-July....

Rain – Bearing Systems and Rainfall Distribution

The intensity of rainfall over the west coast of India is related to two factors:...

Monsoon Winds of the Arabian Sea

The Monsoon winds of Arabian Sea are divided into three branches:...

Monsoon Winds of the Bay of Bengal

The Bay of Bengal branch strikes the coast of Myanmar and part of southeast Bangladesh. But the Arakan Hills along the coast of Myanmar deflect a big portion of this branch towards the Indian subcontinent. The monsoon, therefore, enters West Bengal and Bangladesh from south and southeast instead of from the south-westerly direction. From here, this branch splits into two under the influence of the Himalayas and the thermal low is northwest India. Its one branch moves westward along the Ganga plains reaching as far as the Punjab plains. The other branch moves up the Brahmaputra valley in the north and the northeast, causing widespread rains. Its sub-branch strikes the Garo and Khasi hills of Meghalaya. Mawsynram, located on the crest of Khasi hills, receives the highest average annual rainfall in the world....

Break in the Monsoon

During the south-west monsoon period after having rains for a few days, if rain fails to occur for one or more weeks, it is known as break in the monsoon. These dry spells are quite common during the rainy season. These breaks in the different regions are due to different reasons:...

Characteristics of Monsoon Rainfall

Rainfall received from the southwest monsoons is seasonal in character, which occurs between June and September. Monsoonal rainfall is largely governed by relief or topography. For instance the windward side of the Western Ghats register a rainfall of over 250 cm. The monsoon rainfall has a declining trend with increasing distance from the sea. The summer rainfall comes in a heavy downpour leading to considerable run off and soil erosion. Monsoons play a pivotal role in the agrarian economy of India because over three-fourths of the total rain in the country is received during the southwest monsoon season. Its spatial distribution is also uneven which ranges from 12 cm to more than 250 cm. The beginning of the rains sometimes is considerably delayed over the whole or a part of the country. The rains sometimes end considerably earlier than usual, causing great damage to standing crops and making the sowing of winter crops difficult....

Conclusion

By the beginning of September, Southeast Monsoon stats retrieving from the far northeast and gradually moves southward. Heavy rains brought on by these monsoon winds can cause devastating floods in India’s Northern Plains, causing loss of life and property. Droughts and heavy floods are caused by dry and wet spells in one part of the country, while droughts are possible in the other....

FAQs On Class 11 Geography Southwest Monsoon Season

What is Southwest Monsoon?...