CLIMATE OF SOUTH ASIA

INTRODUCTION: The climate of Southeast Asia is mainly tropical hot & humid all the year round. There is lot of rainfall. It has a wet & dry seasons caused by seasonal shifts in winds or months. The Tropical rainbelt causes additional rainfall in monsoon seasons. May & June are the hottest month of the year. People watch the sky anxiously for the signs of clouds, in the hope that they may result in cooling rain.

SOUTHEAST RAINFOREST

Southeast rainforest is the oldest , consistent rainforest on earth, dating back to Pleistocene Epoch 70 million years ago. It has a biological richness & diversity unequaled by that of Amazon or African rainforest. It is a 3100 mile long chain of 20,000 islands strung between Asia & Australia. It covers an area of 1,12,000 sq.miles , almost twice the size of Alaska. The area lies from latitude 20degree North & 16 degree South, & longitude 95 degree to 105 degree East. Humidity is always high.

CLIMATE:

Millions of years ago as the rest of world went through cooling & warming periods, the climate of Southeast Asia region remained more or less the same. This was due mainly because of its location on the equatorial being surrounding oceans provide plenty

As the sea level rose & fell through warming & icing cycles, small pockets of forests survived as forest refugia or reservoirs of wildlife from various species & reestablish themselves

VEGETATION

Trees & Shrubs in the lower canopy have an elongated crowns as the leaves reach for light shade tolerant species flourish here.

CLIMATE CLASSIFICATION

The climate of Southeast Asia is classified as Tropical wet climate in Koppen climate zone system. The climate is influenced by maritime wind systems which is originated in Indian Ocean & South China sea. It has @2 monsoon seasons. The Northeast monsoon occurs from October to February & brings heavy rains to the Eastern side of the islands.

TEMPERATURE READING

Current conditions & forecast of Southeast Asia.

INDIA TABLE OF CONTENTS

The Himalayas isolate Southeast Asia from the rest of the Asia. South of these mountains the climate like the terrain is highly diverse. The Indian Metrological Service divides the year in 4 seasons, the relatively dry , cool winter from Dec through Feb, dry hot , summer from March through May, the Southwest maritime winds bring rains to the most of Southeast Asia by first week of July. Conventionally scientist have attributed monsoons to thermal changes in Asian landmasses.

South Asia is subject to a wide range of climate from subfreezing Himalayan winters to the tropical climate of Coromandel Coast & from damp, rainy climate in the states of Assam & West Bengal to the arid Great Indian Desert. In the Himalayan Region climate varies with altitude. At about 2000m, the average summer temperature is near 18degree Celsius at 4500m, it is rarely above 0degree Celsius.