Destination India Climate

guideontravel — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 14:00:07 +0100

India ’s shape, unusual topography, and geographical position give it a diverse climate. Most of India has a tropical or subtropical climate ,
with little variation in temperature between seasons. The northern
plains, however, have a greater temperature range, with cooler winters
and hotter summers. The mountain areas have cold winters and cool
summers. As elevations increase sharply in the mountains, climate type
can change from subtropical to polar within a few miles.

India ’s seasonal cycle
includes three main phases: the cool, dry winter from October to March;
the hot, dry summer from April to June; and the southwest monsoon
season of warm, torrential rains from mid-June to September. India’s
winter season brings cold temperatures to the mountain slopes and
northern plains; temperatures in the Thar Desert reach freezing at
night. Farther south, temperatures are mild. Average daily temperatures
in January range from 13° to 27°C (55° to 81°F) in the northeastern
city of Kolkata (formerly Calcutta); from 8° to 21°C (46° to 70°F) in
the north central city of New Delhi; from 19° to 30°C (67° to 85°F) in
the west central coast city of Mumbai (formerly Bombay); and from 19°
to 29°C (67° to 85°F) in the vicinity of Chennai (formerly Madras) on
the southeastern coast. Dry weather generally accompanies the cool
winter season, although severe storms sometimes traverse the country,
yielding slight precipitation on the northern plains and heavy snowfall
in the Himalayas.

India ’s hot and dry season
reaches its most oppressive stage during May, when temperatures as high
as 49°C (120°F) are commonly recorded in the northern plains.
Temperatures in the southern peninsula are somewhat lower, averaging
35° to 40°C (95° to 104°F). At higher altitudes, as in the Western
Ghats and the Himalayas, temperatures are considerably cooler.

The intense heat breaks
when the summer monsoon season arrives in June. For most of the year
the monsoons, or seasonal winds, blow from the northeast. In the summer
months, however, they begin to blow from the southwest, absorbing
moisture as they cross the Indian Ocean. This warm, moist air creates
heavy rains as it rises over the Indian Peninsula and is finally forced
up the slopes of the Himalayas. The rains start in early June on a
strip of coast lying between the Arabian Sea and the foot of the
Western Ghats. A second “arm” of the monsoon starts from the Bay of
Bengal in the northeast and gradually extends up the Gangetic Plain,
where it meets the Arabian Sea “arm” in the Delhi region around July 1.
In July the average daily temperature range is 26° to 32°C (79° to
89°F) in Kolkata; 27° to 35°C (80° to 94°F) in New Delhi; 25° to 30°C
(78° to 86°F) in Mumbai; and 26° to 36°C (79° to 96°F) in Chennai.

The monsoon season is
critical to India. Farming depends heavily on the monsoon, even though
artificial sources of irrigation are also commonly used. The economy
prospers when the monsoon season is normal and plummets when it is not.
In the past a failure of the monsoon has brought abnormally low rains
in crucial food-growing regions, leading to famine. A failed monsoon season in
the dryland areas of the Deccan Plateau can mean poor or nonexistent
harvests for that year’s crop. In the Gangetic Plain, the groundwater
needed for irrigating the winter crop depends on the monsoon for
replenishing. However, an excessive monsoon may also spell disaster,
especially in the Gangetic Plain of eastern Uttar Pradesh and Bihār,
where rivers can flood and wash away homes and fields.

The average annual rainfall for India
as a whole is 1,250 mm (49 in). The heaviest rainfall occurs along the
Western Ghats, often more than 3,175 mm (125 in), and on the slopes of
the eastern Himalayas and the Khāsi Hills (of Meghalaya), where the
town of Cherrapunji receives 10,900 mm (430 in) annually. The entire
northeast region averages more than 2,000 mm (80 in) annually, with
Jharkhand, Orissa, and the Bengal region receiving nearly as much. Rain
and snow fall in abundance on the entire Himalayan range. New Delhi receives an annual average of 800 to 1,000 mm (32 to 40 in) of rain,
and the broad swath of land extending to the south, much of it in the
rain shadow of the Western Ghats, receives about the same or a little
more.

Destination India Introduction

guideontravel — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 13:56:33 +0100

India, officially Republic of India (Hindi Bharat), country in southern Asia , located on the subcontinent of India. It is bounded on the north by
Afghanistan, China, Nepal, and Bhutan; on the east by Bangladesh,
Myanmar (formerly known as Burma), and the Bay of Bengal; on the south
by the Palk Strait and the Gulf of Mannār (which separates it from Sri
Lanka) and the Indian Ocean; and on the west by the Arabian Sea and
Pakistan. India is divided into 28 states and 7 union territories
(including the National Capital Territory of Delhi).New Delhi is the
country’s capital.

National Flag

The world’s seventh largest country in area, India occupies more
than 3 million sq km (1 million sq mi), encompassing a varied landscape
rich in natural resources. The Indian Peninsula forms a rough triangle
framed on the north by the world’s highest mountains, the Himalayas,
and on the east, south, and west by oceans. Its topography varies from
the barren dunes of the Thar Desert to the dense tropical forests of
rain-drenched Assam state. Much of India, however, consists of fertile
river plains and high plateaus. Several major rivers, including the
Ganges, Brahmaputra, and Indus, flow through India. Arising in the
northern mountains and carrying rich alluvial soil to the plains below,
these mighty rivers have supported agriculture-based civilizations for
thousands of years.

With more than 1 billion inhabitants, India ranks second only to
China among the world’s most populous countries. Its people are
culturally diverse, and religion plays an important role in the life of
the country. About 83 percent of the people practice Hinduism, a
religion that originated in India. Another 12 percent are Muslims, and
millions of others are Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists, and Jains.
Eighteen major languages and more than 1,000 minor languages and
dialects are spoken in India.

India’s long history stretches back to the Indus Valley civilization
of about 2500-1700 bc. For hundreds of years, India was home to massive
empires and regional kingdoms. British rule in India began in the ad
1700s. Foreign domination engendered Indian nationalism, which
eventually led to India winning its independence in 1947. Split from
Pakistan at independence, India struggled with its Muslim neighbor over
border differences and Hindu-Muslim relations. India and Pakistan still
conflict over the Jammu and Kasmir

region,
parts of which are also occupied by China. India’s federal political
system, a democracy for more than 50 years, has demonstrated a
remarkable resilience in resolving domestic and international crises.
India has grown since independence to have great influence on Asia and
a massive world presence. The country is a member of the Commonwealth
of nation , an association of political entities that once gave or
currently give allegiance to the British monarchy.

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Destination India Climate

Destination India Introduction