India: climate and the monsoon
Seasons, onset, breaks and withdrawal of the monsoon
Practise 2 PYQsConcepts to cover
- Cold weather season: western disturbances and winter rain in the north-west, north-east trades, temperature pattern
- Hot weather season: loo, dust storms, kalbaisakhi, mango showers, cherry blossom showers
- Onset over Kerala about 1 June and IMD criteria; advance of the two branches; whole country covered by about 8 July; duration decreases northward
- Breaks in the monsoon: shift of the trough to the foothills, rain in the Himalaya and Tamil Nadu, dry plains
- Retreating monsoon: withdrawal from September, October heat, north-east monsoon rain on the Coromandel coast, post-monsoon cyclones
- Western disturbances as extra-tropical systems in the westerlies bringing winter rain and snow to north-west India
Where to study
India: Physical Environment, Class XI, chapter 4: Climate (2026-27)
- ch. 4, Climate, p. 1-15 (book pages 27-41)
- ch. 4, The Cold Weather Season, p. 5 (book page 31)
- ch. 4, The Hot Weather Season, p. 8-9 (book pages 34-35)
- ch. 4, Some Famous Local Storms of Hot Weather Season, p. 9 (book page 35)
- ch. 4, Entry of Monsoon into India, p. 5 (book page 31)
- ch. 4, The Southwest Monsoon Season, p. 9 (book page 35)
- ch. 4, Break in the Monsoon, p. 5 (book page 31)
- ch. 4, Season of Retreating Monsoon, p. 11 (book page 37)
- ch. 4, east Mediterranean Sea, p. 7 (book page 33)
Onset and Advance of Monsoon
- Normal dates of onset
- Normal dates
Frequently asked Questions (FAQs) on Monsoon
- Onset and withdrawal, p. 12-13
- Declaring onset and advance of monsoon, p. 12
- Break monsoon, p. 16-17
- Withdrawal of monsoon, p. 13