CBSE Questions for Class 9 Geography Climate Quiz 5 - MCQExams.com

• The rainfall shown in the diagram is called monsoon rainfall. It is formed when air is raised and obstructed by hills and mountains. As it rises the air gets cooled and condensed to form rain.
  
• In India monsoon usually lasts from July to September. 
  

The rain shadow area is a place where there is relatively low rainfall due to the obstruction by mountain or hill resulting in heavy rains on one side and less rain on the other side of barrier which is a rain shadow region.

Drass is a town located in Kargil district of Jammu and Kashmir. It is the second coldest inhabited place on earth. It is at a height of 3230 m. It is often called the 'Gateway to Ladakh'. 

• Rajasthan receives scanty rainfall. The two main reasons are:
  
• South-east monsoon arising from Bay of Bengal loses its moisture by the time it reaches north-western part of India where Rajasthan is located.
  
• And the south-west monsoon arising from Bay of Bengal flows parallel to the Aravali mountains and reach north-east part of India.
  

• The most common type of rainfall in India is relief rainfall.
  
• It is formed when air is raised over hills and mountains. As it rises the air gets cooled and condensed to form rain. It usually occurs in coastal areas.
  

The foothills of the Himalayas, Punjab-Haryana plain adjacent to the Himalayas, Rajasthan east of the Aravalli range, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and northern part of West Bengal and Assam mostly experience dry winters. This is due to the fact that winds blow from northeast to southwest direction i.e. from land to the sea. Thus they are devoid of moisture.

• Rajasthan is situated in the North Western part of India. Climatically, Rajasthan is the driest part of India.
  
• Rajasthan falls under tropical and subtropical climate regions which is characterised by scanty rainfall
  
• Rainfall is mostly due to cloud busters which is less than millimetres. 
  

• India is blessed with a number of perennial rivers which flood with excessive rainfall. In India heavy rainfall is brought about by south-west monsoon. The annual rainfall of India is about 300–650 millimetres.
  
• This heavy rainfall is the reason for floods caused in India.
  

• Thiruvananthapuram and Cherrapunji near Shillong receive rainfall for almost nine months in the year.
  
• Thiruvananthapuram is first city that is hit by south-west monsoon in June and receives rainfall through this monsoon and after that, in the months of October, it receives rain from the northeast monsoon. Dry season sets only after December.
  
• On the other hand Cherrapunji near Shillong is high above the sea level, covered by mountains and dense forests and it apparently get more rains throughout the year.
  

• As India is surrounded by Bay of Bengal on the east and Arabian Sea on the west, monsoons in India arrive as Bay of Bengal branch and Arabian Sea branch.
  
• The direction of Bay of Bengal branch of south west monsoon is north-east.
  
• The Arabian Sea Branch of the south-west monsoon first hits the Western Ghats of the coastal state of Kerala, India, thus making this area first to receive rain from the south-west monsoon. This branch of the monsoon moves northwards towards western side.
  

• Mawsynram is located in the east Khasi hills district of Meghalaya. It is the wettest place on Earth, with an average annual rainfall of 11,872 millimetres. 
  
• Mawsynram has a subtropical highland climate with an extraordinarily showery and long monsoonal season and a short dry season.
  

Monsoon arrives at the southern tip of the Indian peninsula generally by the first week of June. The monsoon strikes Malabar Coast in the month of June and by November leaves the country. Most of the food production in India depends on these monsoons.

• Cyclonic rainfall is caused due to Western disturbance, Nor'westers, and mango showers.
  
• Western disturbance is an extratropical storm originating in the Mediterranean Sea and that brings sudden winter rain to the Indian subcontinent.
  
• Nor’westers: The rising temperature in the summer results in low-pressure troughs and attracts cyclonic and North West winds which result in rainfall along with thunderstorms in the months of April and May. This is known as Kal Baisakhi or nor-westers.
  
• Mango showers: Pre-monsoon showers: Often called as mango showers are the rains that include light showers to heavy rains with thunders. These are due to the thunderstorm developed in the Bay of Bengal. These result in falling apart of mangoes from trees and hence called mango showers.
  

• Cold weather season is also called as winter. It starts in the month of November and ends in February. December and January months are the coldest months.
  
• This season is characterized by cold days and cold nights. Coldest month in India is January. Average temperatures in January range from 14 to 25 °C.
  

• The south-west monsoon season is characterised by rainfall across the country and this is influenced by following aspects.
  
• Presence of orographic features like mountains and hills.
  
• Distance from the sea because monsoons arise from such water bodies.
  
• Presence of peninsular in the south which means India is surrounded by water bodies on three sides which is responsible for monsoon showers.
  
• Presence of rivers do not affect monsoon winds.
  

Cold weather season is also called as winter. It starts in the month of November and ends in February. December and January months are the coldest months.

This season is characterized by cold days and cold nights.

• Dense fog is seen during winter in the northern India. The reason for fog in North India is entirely because of a weather system called Western Disturbance.
  
• This is the sudden reversal of dry and cool north westerly to humid easterlies or south easterlies which could cause widespread of fog in the plains of North India.
  
• As the winds are calm and slow with the speed below 5 km ph in the northern India during this season, the fog settles and continues to stay throughout.
  

• Mawsynram is located in the East Khasi Hills district of Meghalaya state. It is the wettest place on earth, with an average annual rainfall of 11,872 millimeters. It receives the highest rainfall.
  
• Mawsynram has a subtropical highland climate with an extraordinarily showery and long monsoonal season and a short dry season.
  

• Hot weather season is also referred to as summer season that lasts from March to May.
  
• Warm weather season in India is characterized by warm days and warm nights. Due to the northward movement of the sun, the global heat belt shifts northward. The summer months experience rising temperature and falling air pressure in the northern part of the country.
  
• It is characterized by high temperature over the north western part, low pressure over the north-western part, development of local depressions, very high temperature over North Indian plains due to long days and distance from the sea.