The Four Seasons of India
NCERT Class 9 • Contemporary India I • Chapter "Climate" | NCERT Class 11 • India Physical Environment • Chapter "Climate"
The Four Seasons of India
India's year is divided into four seasons: the cold weather season, the hot weather season, the advancing monsoon and the retreating monsoon. Each has its own pressure pattern, wind direction and rainfall character, and together they shape farming, festivals and daily life across the country.
Cold Weather Season
- Runs from about mid November to February, with December and January the coldest months.
- Temperature falls from south to north; the south coast has almost no cold season.
- Clear skies, low humidity and cool dry north-east trade winds blow from land to sea.
- Western disturbances bring light rain to Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh, called mahawat, which is very useful for the rabi wheat crop.
- The Coromandel coast of Tamil Nadu gets rain in this season from the north-east winds picking up moisture over the Bay of Bengal.
- Snowfall occurs in the Himalayan region, and cold waves sometimes reach the northern plains.
- Days are bright and pleasant while nights turn sharply cold because of clear skies and dry air.
Hot Weather Season
- Runs from about March to May, with temperature rising steadily northward.
- A long low pressure trough forms over north-west India, called the monsoon trough.
- Loo is a hot, dry and strong afternoon wind of the northern plains.
- Dust storms and localised thunderstorms bring brief relief.
- Kaal Baisakhi are violent evening storms of West Bengal and the north-east.
- Mango showers in Kerala and Karnataka help ripen mangoes and are useful for coffee.
| Season | Months | Main Feature |
|---|---|---|
| Cold weather | Mid Nov to Feb | Dry, western disturbances, mahawat |
| Hot weather | Mar to May | Loo, dust storms, Kaal Baisakhi |
| Advancing monsoon | Jun to Sep | Bulk of annual rain |
| Retreating monsoon | Oct to Nov | October heat, cyclones |
Advancing and Retreating Monsoon
The advancing monsoon from June to September brings most of India's annual rainfall. From October the low pressure weakens and the monsoon retreats; the air becomes humid and oppressive, a condition called October heat, and tropical cyclones strike the east coast.
Hindi me samjhein
लू उत्तरी मैदान की गर्म शुष्क दोपहर की हवा है। महावट पश्चिमी विक्षोभ से होने वाली हल्की शीतकालीन वर्षा है, जो रबी की गेहूं फसल के लिए बहुत लाभकारी मानी जाती है।
Exam me kaise aata hai
- Hot dry wind of the northern plains — loo
- Winter rain useful for the rabi crop — mahawat
- Evening storms of West Bengal — Kaal Baisakhi
- Oppressive humid weather of October is called — October heat
UPSC/State PSC ke liye
- Tamil Nadu gets much of its rain in the retreating and cold weather season, not from the south-west monsoon, because it lies in the rain shadow of the Western Ghats.
- October heat results from high humidity left behind by the retreating monsoon combined with still high temperatures.
Yahan confuse hote hain
✗ Mango showers occur in Bengal | Mango showers occur in Kerala and Karnataka | ✓
✗ Tamil Nadu gets most rain in June to September | It gets much of its rain in October to December | ✓
✗ Loo blows at night | Loo blows in the afternoon | ✓
Ek nazar me
- Four seasons: cold, hot, advancing monsoon, retreating monsoon.
- Cold season: western disturbances and mahawat in the north-west.
- Hot season: loo, dust storms, Kaal Baisakhi, mango showers.
- Retreating monsoon: October heat and east coast cyclones.