CLIMATOLOGY

OF INDIA
 PHYSIOGRAPHY
 TO THE NORTH THE HIMALAYAS EXTENDING FROM PAMIR
KNOT TOWARDS EAST OVER 2500KM (WIDTH 150-250KM)
 NAMKAI-PATKAI-NAGA-LUSHAI EXTENDS SOUTHWARDS
FROM THE EASTERN END OF HIMALAYAS
 GARO-KHASI-JAAINTIA HILLS OF ASSAM RUN EAST-WEST
FROM IT
 SOUTH OF THE HIMALAYAS LIES THE INDO-GANGETIC
PLAIN ABOUT 3000KM LONG AND 250-400 WIDE
 FURTHER SOUTH VINDHYA AND SATHPURA RANGES RUN
EAST-WEST (ABOUT 1 KM HIGH)
 FURTHER SOUTH LIES THE PENINSULAR PLATAU
 WESTERN GHAT ON WEST COAST SLOPES TOWARDS THE
EAST
 BROKEN EASTERN GHAT ON THE EAST COAST
 THE WESTERN GHAT IS HIGHER THAN THE EASTERN GHAT
WITH AVERAGE HEIGHT OF 2000’
 THE ARABIAN SEA ON THE WEST AND THE BAY OF BENGAL
ON THE EAST
 THE INDIAN OCEAN ON THE SOUTH
 SURFACE CLIMATOLOGY
 PRESENTS WIDE CONTRAST IN CLIMATIC
CONDITIONS
 RAINFALL VARIES FROM 10 CM IN THE THAR
DESERT TO OVER 1000 CM IN CHERAPUNJI /
MAWSYNRAM (ANNUAL AVERAGE IS 1140 CM)
 TEMPERATURES VARY FROM -45ºC IN DRAS TO
49ºC IN RAJASTHAN
 SW MONSOON AND NE MONSOONS ARE THE
MAIN SEASONS WITH TWO TRANSITION
SEASONS
 MAIN SYNOPTIC FEATURES
 EXTRA-TROPICAL DISTURBANCES (WDs):
AFFECTS NORTHERN PARTS OF THE COUNTRY
DURING WINTER SEASON AND COMES TO ITS
SOUTH MOST POSITION TO 23ºN LAT IN
FEBRUARY
 TROPICAL CYCLONES: ORIGINATE IN THE BAY
OR IN THE ARABIAN SEA, MOVE IN W/NW
DIRECTION (SOME RECURVE TO N/NE). IN SW
MONSOON THEY ARE OF SMALL INTENSITY AND
FORM IN NW BAY. STORMS IN PRE AND POST
MONSOON ARE OF GREATER INTENSITY
 INTERACTION BETWEEN HIGH AND LOW LAT
SYSTEMS : THIS INTERACTION CAUSES TROPICAL
STORMS TO RECURVE TO N/NE/E, BREAK
MONSOON…
 SURFACE FEATURE
 IN WINTER, THE SIBERIAN HIGH WITH CENTRAL
PRESSURE OF ABOUT 1035 hPa IS PREDOMINENT
 BY MARCH THIS HIGH WEAKENS AND THE TENDENCY
FOR LOW FORMATION DEVELOPS OVER CENTRAL
INDIA
 IN MAY THE THERMAL LOW EXTENDS FROM MP TO
RAJ WITH CENTRE PRESSURE OF ABOUT 1004 hPa
 IN JULY (A TYPICAL MONSOON MONTH) THE LOW
EXTENDS OVER RAJ AND PAK WITH CENTRE
PRESSURE OF ABOUT 998 hPa AND A TROUGH
EXTENDS FROM THE LOW TO N BAY. THE PRESSURE
GRADIENT IS STRONGEST OVER WEST COAST
 BY SEPTEMBER PRESSURE GRADIENT DECREASES
AND SIGNS OF FORMATION OF WINTER HIGH
DEVELOP
 BY OCTOBER A HIGH FORMS OVER SINKIANG AND BY
DECEMBER THE WINTER FEATURE IS ATTAINED
 TEMPERATURE
 IN WINTER DRY AND COLD CONTINENTAL
WINDS PREVAIL OVER MOST PARTS OF THE
COUNTRY
 MAX TEMP OVER PLAINS OF N INDIA IS IN THE
ORDER OF 20-25ºC AND ABOUT 30ºC OVER
PENINSULA
 MIN TEMP OVER PLAINS OF N INDIA IS IN THE
ORDER OF 5-10ºC AND OVER PENINSULA 20-
25ºC
 COLD WAVE CONDITION PREVAILS OVER N
INDIA WHEN MIN TEMP GOES 5-10ºC BELOW
NORMAL
 IN SUMMER WEST AND NW PARTS HAVE MAX
TEMP IN ORDER OF 35-45ºC. AT TIMES HEAT
WAVE CONDITIONS OCCUR
 MEAN MIN TEMP IN ORDER OF 20-25ºC OVER
THE COUNTRY
 RAINFALL
 WESTERN SLOPES OF WESTERN GHAT RECEIVES
RAINFALL IN THE ORDER OF 200 CM
 A NARROW STRIP BETWEEN 11-13ºN AND
SOUTHERN SLOPE OF KHASI HILLS RECEIVE R/F
OVER 400 CM
 R/F DECREASES TOWARDS EAST FROM WESTERN
GAHT AND TOWARDS WEST FROM NE STATES
WITH LEAST R/F OVER RAJANTHAN DESERT
 ABOUT 75% OF ANNUAL R/F IS DURING SW
MONSOON SEASON OTHER THAN TN AND NW
INDIA
 TN RECEIVES MAX R/F IN THE NE MONSOON
FROM TROPICAL CYCLONE AND EASTERLY WAVE
 NW INDIA RECEIVES MAX R/F DURING WINTER
FROM WDs
THUNDER STORMS AND HAIL/SQUALL
 All parts are affected by thunder storms and there
is no month when some part or other is not
affected by thunder storms
 However most occurrence is between March and
September
 Most affected areas are Assam, Bengal,
Meghalaya, Orissa, Chota Nagpur and adjoining
areas. During March to June thunder storms over
these regions are often accompanied by NW’ly
squalls (60-80 kt) and hail. These are locally
known as Kalbaisakhis
 Severe Thunder storms occur in the late evening
and others occur at night or early morning
 During winter NW India gets thunder storms
sometimes accompanied by hail
 During SW monsoon hail is rare
DUST STORMS
 Dust storms occur over NW India during pre-
monsoon season (mainly from Mar-Jun), which
are locally known as andhis
FOG
 Fog occurs mainly during winter season
 However in the valleys fog is possible
throughout the year
 The fog is mainly radiation fog
 However advection is possible anywhere in the
coastal belt
 Low stratus clouds persist for sometimes when
the fog is lifted
 UPPER AIR FEATURES
 Winds are easterly south of 15ºN and westerly
north of 34ºN.
 Zonal westerlies (speed) increase with height
and attain maximum speed of 150-200 kt (mean
80 kt) at 150-200 hPa level between 25-30ºN
(tropical jet) in winter.
 Zonal easterlies (speed) also increase with
height and attain maximum speed of aruond 120
kts (mean 60-70 kts) at 150/100 hPa level (TEJ)
in summer.
 In SW monsoon westerlies in west coast
strengthen from surface and reach an average
speed of 25-30 kts at 850 & 700 hPa level with
max speed reaching upto 50 kts (LLJ).
SEASONS OF
INDIA
 SEASONS OF INDIA
 Cold Season - December to March
(Winter)
 Hot Season - April to May
(Pre-monsoon)
 Wet Season - June to September
(Southwest monsoon)
 Cool Season - October and November
(Post-monsoon)

The fourfold seasonal division is based on

low level features, mainly winds, temperature
and precipitation which are often highly
variable.
 WINTER (COLD) SEASON
 This is the coldest portion of the year and hence
called the cold season.
 In winter Northeast monsoon prevails over the
subcontinent, so it is also called NE monsoon.
 Subsiding anticyclonic air is prevalent over the
major portion of the country, giving rise to
mainly clear weather.
 In the north, on an average about 4-5 western
disturbances travel from west to east, breaking
the spell of clear weather. These cause clouding
and precipitation and later on wide spread fog.
Maximum frequency (5-6/month) and the
southernmost track (23ºN) is in the month of
Jan-Feb.
 PRESSURE DISTRIBUTION
1002
1024 H 1024
1022 1004
BASED ON 25/1130H
1022 1008
1020 1006
1020

1018 .DLH 1018

1016
.BMB
.HYD
1016
.MDS 1014

1014 1012
1012
MEAN SEA LEVEL PRESSURE (mb)
JANUARY L
 70 75 80 70 75 80
5000’(1.5KM) 10000’(3.0KM)
35 35 35

30 30 20 kt
700mb 30

25 25 25
A 20
20 20 kt 20

15 15 15

10 10 10

05 05

18000’(5.4KM) 40000’(12KM)
35 35 35

30 30 30

25 25 25

20 20 20

15 15 15

10 10 10

70 75 80 85 90 95 100 70 75 80 85 90 95 100
 WEATHER:
Generally cold dry north or northwesterly
continental air prevails over the country outside
southeast Peninsula. Clear skies, fine weather,
low humidity and low temperatures with large
diurnal range are normal features. These dry
spells are broken at intervals when migratory
extra-tropical disturbances move across northern
India.
 Approach of a WD is marked by fall of pressure, rise in
temperature, backing of winds, clouds lowering from
Ci/Cs to Ac/As and then to St with rain/drizzle
 When the system is overhead, Cu/CB clouds develop
associated with Thunder storms/showers, occasionally
with squall and gust.
 After the passage of the system, pressure increases,
temperature falls, wind veers to its northerly component,
weather clears up and as a result wide spread fog occurs
for 2-3 days.
 In the south a trough extends from Kerala
to Gujrat along west coast which sometimes
extends upto Rajasthan and often a cut-off
low forms and move towards east across
central India causing rainfall over the central
parts.
In SE Peninsula, the NE current after
acquiring moisture from the Bay give rise to
few thunderstorms. Westerly moving easterly
waves also cause cloudiness and rain over
Peninsula. Sometimes a cyclonic storm may
cause heavy rain in extreme SE TN.
AVIATION WEATHER HAZARDS:
(a) Visibility: Radiation fog or mist is common
in many parts of the country.
(b) Icing: Freezing levels are the lowest in
winter. Ice accretion on aircraft is experienced
at comparatively lower levels in the north in
this season.
(c) Sub-tropical jet stream: The core of the sub-
tropical jet stream now lies between latitudes
25oN and 30 oN at a level between 300mb and
200 mb. The average speeds are of the order
of 80 kt(maximum speed reaches upto 150-
200 kts).
 PRE-MONSOON (HOT) SEASON
 The hot season is a transitional season when the
winter monsoon pattern of pressure and winds
gets disrupted prior to the establishment of the
summer monsoon pattern and is thus referred to
as the pre-monsoon.
 Widespread dust haze and extremely high
temperatures are prevalent over north India.
 Land and sea breeze is prominent over the
coastal areas.
 A few tropical cyclones form in the Indian seas.
 1014 1012
1014 1010
1000
1008 BASED ON 01Sep/1130H
1012
1004 1006 1008
1006
1010 1002
1006 1008
1000
.DLH
1000
1006
L L
1010

.BMB
.HYD

.MDS H
1010
MEAN SEA LEVEL PRESSURE (mb)
APRIL
1010
 70 75 80 70 75 80
5000’(1.5KM) 10000’(3.0KM)
35 35 35

30 30 30

25 25 25

20 20 20

15 15 15

10 10 10

05 05

18000’(5.4KM) 40000’(12.0KM)
35 35 35

30 30 30

25 25 25

20 20 20

15 15 15

10 10 10
Weather:
Rainfall occur mostly in eastern India with 5 to 25
cm of rain per month. There is large-scale thunderstorm
activity. When the moisture content is less, dust-
storms occur in western India. Frequency is 3-5 per
month. These are locally known as andhis.
Violent local thunder squalls accompanied by hail
and rain occur in the eastern India where deep humid
winds from the sea meet hot dry land winds. These are
locally known as kalbaisahkis.
The frequency of Tropical cyclones increases. The
tropical storms in Arabian Sea mostly move westwards
and do not affect India, however few of them recurve to
north and affect Maharastra and Gujrat.
In the Bay storms develop between 10-15ºN. Some
of them move N/NE and affect Bengal, BD or Myanmar
coast and some move to W/NW and affect TN, AP or
Orissa. A few of them which travel to west after
crossing the peninsula enter the Arabian Sea and
revive.
Aviation Weather Hazards:
(a) Thunderstorms: These are mostly
violent convectional type of thunderstorms
caused by the intense insolation. The most
destructive type of convectional thunder
squalls are the norwesters of eastern India.
They occur from mid-March to June during
afternoon/evening hours
(b) Dust Haze: With dry loose soil and
strong winds, most of the western India gets
enveloped in dust. At times the dust belt
extends eastwards upto Upper Assam. Vis is
reduced to 2 km or less for days together, at
times reducing to few metres. Vertical extent is
generally upto 3-5 km, but at times extend
upto 7-8 km.
(a) Dust-raising winds: Sometimes strong surface
winds of the order of 30 kt s gusting to 40-50
kts, raise the dust which affects the visibility.
This happens over the dust haze affected areas
during day time.
(b) Dust storms: Dust storms of north India are
the result of dust scooped up from the earth by
the squalls from thunderstorms. The squalls
speed often reach 40/50 kt. occasionally 60/70
kt. and the visibility deteriorates to a few metres.
Cu/CB are pre-condition for dust storm.
 SOUTHWEST MONSOON
(WET) SEASON
 The country (out side western and eastern
Himalayas and southwest Peninsula), receives
nearly 75% of its rainfall during this period.
 The sub-tropical westerly jet stream shifts north of
the Himalayas and the tropical easterly jet stream
makes its appearance over the Peninsula.
 The main characteristics of the seasons are
moderate to heavy rains, very low clouds, high
humidity and sultry weather. This is also the period
when devastating floods occur in many parts of the
country.
SURFACE:
An intense low pressure system develops
over the northwestern part of the subcontinent
and adjoining Afghanistan, spreading
eastwards, the trough of low pressure in the
Indo-Gangetic plain is usually referred to as the
monsoon trough. This trough is modified when
depression forms over the Bay.
Strengthening and breaks in the monsoon
are associated with the formation of depression
and its movement. Some move along the
monsoon trough and finally merge with the
seasonal low and some recurve to N/NE.
 998 1000
BASED ON 01Sep/1130H
996 1000
L 994
1002
1004 1006 1008

1000 1000
.DLH
996 1000
L 1002
998
998 1004

1000 .BMB
1002
.HYD 1006

1004 .MDS
1006 1008
1008
1010

1010
MEAN SEA LEVEL PRESSURE (mb) JULY
 70 75 80 70 75 80
5000’(1.5KM) 10000’(3.0KM)
35 35 35

30 30 30

25 25 25

20 20 20

15 15
C 15

10 10 10

05 05

20000’(6.0KM) 40000’(12.0KM)
35 35 35

30 30 30

25 25 25

20
A 20
A A 20

15
A 15 15

10 10 10

70 75 80 85 90 95 100 70 75 80 85 90 95 100
 ONSET OF SW MONSOON

.DLH

15 JUL
01 JUL
15 JUN
.BMB
10 JUN
.HYD
05 JUN .MDS
01 JUN
WITHDRAWL OF SW MONSOON

.DLH

15 SEP

.BMB
01 OCT .HYD
15 OCT
O1 NOV
.MDS
15 NOV

01 DEC
15 DEC
Weather:
The monsoon current meeting the Westernghat
yields heavy rainfall on the west side and there
is a rain shadow area to the east. The Arabian
sea branch gives some rainfall in Gujrat and
Rajasthan.
The Bay branch causes rain over Myanmar
coast and belt of eastern Himalayas. From
Bengal this branch move towards west as
easterlies almost parallel to the Himalayas. Along
the trough the Bay branch and the Arabian sea
branch meet and give moderate to heavy
rainfall. Thus the rain over the Indo-gangetic
plain is mainly governed by the orientation of
the monsoon trough.
The depressions form in the Bay move
towards west along the trough and cause heavy
rain over the region (heaviest in the SW sector).
 Aviation weather hazards:
 Low clouds: stratus clouds lower to about 150-
200m under moderate and strong monsoon
condition. However during the passage of any
depression it may lower down to 30m.
 Strong surface winds: Under strong monsoon
condition surface winds are in the order of 25-30
kts, but during the passage of any depression
wind speed may reach upto 40-50 kts.
 Visibility: In general visibility is good. During
this season visibility is reduced only due to
rain/shower. In heavy rain visibility may reduce
to few hundred metres.
 Tropical Easterly Jet Stream: During this season
TEJ lies between 10-15 deg N at 150-100 hPa
level with average speed of 60-70 kts. But
occasionally speed reaches upto 100-120 kts.
 POST MONSOON
 The transitional period from summer to winter.
 By first week of Oct monsoon is withdrawn from
northern half of the country.
 Temperature starts decreasing all over the
country.
 During this season Tamilnadu gets maximum
rainfall.
 Zonal westerlies shifts south and the Sub
Tropical Jet appears over the extreme north.
 Track of WDs also move to south and affect NW
India.
 Frequency of cyclonic storm is maximum and
also have maximum intensity
 H
1012
1010
1012

.DLH 1010

1012
.BMB
.HYD
1008
L
.MDS

1012
 70 75 80 70 75 80
5000’(1.5KM) 10000’(3.0KM)
35 35 35

30 30 30

25 25 25

20 20 20

15 15 15

10 10 10

05 05

20000’(6.0KM) 40000’(12.0KM)
35 35 35

30 30 30

25 25 25

20 20 20

15 15 15

10 10 10

70 75 80 85 90 95 100 70 75 80 85 90 95 100
Weather
 Clear weather with mist/haze during
dawn/dusk
 1-2 WDs may cause clouding/precipitation
over Kashmir and Punjab
 To the east weather is generally clear, but
when CS hits BD, weather may be bad
 Weather is caused over Peninsula mainly
by Cyclones
Aviation weather hazards
 Low visibility: Mainly due to stratified smoke near
the inhabited areas during dawn and dusk.
In the extreme north mist/fog may occur after
the passage of WDs and lifting stratus may also
occur for 1-2 days
In the south poor visibility is caused only by
precipitation
 Tropical Storms: during this season severe
cyclonic storms develop over the Bay and the
Arabian Sea between 10-15ºN and affect the
coastal belt
 Sub-Tropical Jet: STJ is seen only between 30-
35ºN and gradually shifts southwards at about 200
hPa with average speed of 60-70 kts (maximum
speed reaches upto 100-150 kts)