Climate of India, Climatic Regions, Seasons, Factors Affecting

The Climate of India is extremely diverse due to its vast size, varied relief, latitude, and monsoon driven wind systems. From tropical coasts to alpine Himalayas, India experiences sharp contrasts in temperature, rainfall, and seasonal patterns, making it one of the world’s most climatically complex countries.

Climate of India

India largely experiences a tropical monsoon climate, but its climatic conditions vary significantly across regions due to altitude, distance from the sea, and other factors. According to the Köppen classification, India includes tropical wet, tropical savanna, arid desert, semi arid steppe, humid subtropical, montane, sub arctic, tundra, and ice cap climates. The Himalayas block cold Central Asian winds, while the Thar Desert intensifies monsoon circulation. Average annual temperatures range from below 20°C in Himalayan zones to above 27.5°C across most of peninsular India.

Climatic Regions of India

There are multiple Climatic Regions in India influenced by temperature, rainfall patterns, altitude variation, monsoon influence, humidity, etc. The major Climatic Regions of India are:

• Tropical Monsoon Climate: Found along the Western Ghats, northeast India, and islands, this region receives over 2000 mm rainfall annually with year round temperatures above 18°C.
• Tropical Savanna Climate: Dominant over peninsular interiors, it records 750 – 1500 mm rainfall, long dry seasons, and extreme summer temperatures often exceeding 40°C.
• Arid Desert Climate: Western Rajasthan experiences less than 300 mm annual rainfall, large diurnal temperature range, and summer maxima crossing 50°C.
• Semi Arid Steppe Climate: Covering parts of Maharashtra, Karnataka, Telangana, and Andhra Pradesh, this zone receives 400 – 750 mm rainfall and is drought prone.
• Humid Subtropical Climate: Northern plains and northeast India receive 1000 – 2500 mm rainfall with hot summers, cool winters, and strong monsoon dependence.
• Subtropical Highland Climate: Himalayan foothills show mild summers, cold winters, frequent fog, and rainfall influenced by monsoon and western disturbances.
• Montane and Alpine Climate: High Himalayas experience sharp temperature fall with altitude, heavy snowfall above 1500 m, and tundra like conditions beyond snowline.

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Seasons of India

Ancient Indian calendars divide the year into six ritus: Vasanta (Spring), Grishma (Summer), Varsha (Monsoon), Sharad (Autumn), Hemanta (Pre-winter) and Shishira (Winter). However, the India Meteorological Department recognizes four main seasons as given below:

• Winter Season (December – February): Temperatures range from 10 – 15°C in northwest plains to 25°C in south; western disturbances cause rainfall and snowfall.
• Summer Season (March – May): Temperatures exceed 40°C in interiors; Rajasthan recorded 51.0°C at Phalodi in May 2016, India’s highest verified temperature.
• Southwest Monsoon Season (June – September): Supplies over 80% of annual rainfall; monsoon onset begins around June 1 in Kerala, covering India by July.
• Post Monsoon Season (October – November): Northeast monsoon brings rainfall to Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, and coastal Andhra Pradesh after southwest monsoon withdrawal.
• Additional Spring Phase: Himalayan and northern plains experience a short spring with mild temperatures before intense summer heating begins.

Climate of India Features

India’s climate shows distinct characteristics influenced by the monsoon reversal, rainfall concentration, temperature extremes, regional atmospheric variability, etc. The key features of the Climate of India are:

• Monsoon Wind Reversal: Seasonal reversal of winds causes moist southwest monsoon in summer and dry northeast winds in winter.
• Seasonal Rainfall Concentration: Over 75% to 80% rainfall occurs between June and September, creating flood – drought cycles across regions.
• Extreme Temperature Range: Temperatures vary from -45°C at Dras, Ladakh, to over 51°C at Phalodi, Rajasthan.
• High Regional Variability: Mawsynram receives over 11,800 mm rainfall annually, while Jaisalmer receives less than 100 mm.
• Coastal Moderation: Coastal areas experience smaller diurnal temperature ranges due to maritime influence of the Indian Ocean.
• Natural Disaster Proneness: Floods, cyclones, droughts, heatwaves, and landslides frequently occur due to climatic variability.

Factors Affecting Climate of India

The Climate of India is controlled by latitude, relief, pressure systems, wind patterns, oceanic influence, and large scale atmospheric circulation:

• Latitude: Tropic of Cancer divides tropical south and subtropical north, influencing solar radiation and seasonal temperature variation.
• Himalayas: Act as a barrier preventing cold Central Asian winds and forcing monsoon winds to release moisture over India.
• Thar Desert: Helps attract southwest monsoon winds by creating intense low pressure zones during summer.
• Distance from Sea: Coastal regions experience moderated temperatures, while interiors face extreme heat and cold.
• Altitude: Temperature decreases with height, producing temperate and alpine climates in hill regions.
• Jet Streams: Tropical easterly and subtropical westerly jets influence monsoon onset, withdrawal, and rainfall intensity.
• Western Disturbances: Mediterranean origin storms bring winter rain and snow to northwest India and Himalayas.
• Ocean Currents: Warm Indian Ocean waters enhance evaporation and monsoon moisture supply, and eventually leading to various phenomena such as El Nino, La Nina, etc.

Climate Change

Climate Change is intensifying temperature rise, glacier retreat, extreme events  and sea level risks across India’s diverse climatic regions.

• Rising Temperatures: India’s mean temperature increased by about 0.7°C between 1901 and 2018, increasing heatwave frequency.
• Glacier Retreat: Himalayan glaciers are shrinking, threatening long term flows of Ganga, Brahmaputra, and Indus rivers.
• Extreme Rainfall: Cities like Mumbai have recorded single day rainfall above 900 mm, increasing flood risks.
• Sea Level Rise: Coastal zones face erosion and saline intrusion, affecting livelihoods and mangrove ecosystems.
• Emissions Profile: India emits around 3 gigatonnes CO2 equivalent annually, about 7% of global emissions.
• Vulnerability Ranking: India ranks among the most climate affected countries due to population exposure and economic dependence on monsoon.