The winter rainfall of Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh is caused by:
- A.The retreating monsoon
- B.Tropical cyclones of the Bay of Bengal
- C.Western disturbances
- D.The Arabian Sea branch of the south-west monsoon
Correct answer
Explanation
The correct answer is C, western disturbances. These are low pressure systems, that is temperate cyclones, which form over the Mediterranean and the Caspian region and travel eastwards with the westerly jet stream. On reaching north-west India in winter they give light rain in the plains, called mahawat, and snow in the western Himalaya. This small amount of rain is very valuable for the rabi crop, above all for wheat.
Option A, the retreating monsoon, gives its rain to Tamil Nadu and the south-eastern coast in October to December. Option B, the tropical cyclones of the Bay of Bengal, strike the eastern coast, mainly in the pre-monsoon and post-monsoon months. Option D, the Arabian Sea branch, belongs to the summer monsoon and brings no winter rain at all.
Read the full article: Climate and Rainfall of India: Monsoon, Seasons and PYQs
Practice Questions
View allWhat causes rainfall on the coastal areas of Tamil Nadu in the beginning of winters?
- A.North-Eastern Monsoon
- B.Local Air Circulation
- C.Temperate Cyclones
- D.South-West Monsoon
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As the monsoon retreats in October and November the wind direction reverses and air moves from the land towards the sea.
Read the full explanation →In which state of India is the rain caused by a lightning storm called Cherry Blossom?
- A.Gujarat
- B.Meghalaya
- C.Uttarakhand
- D.Karnataka
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The pre-monsoon thundery showers of Karnataka are called cherry blossom showers or blossom showers because they help the coffee plants of the Kodagu, Chikkamagaluru and Hassan belt to flower.
Read the full explanation →In India, during October-November, with the apparent movement of the sun towards the south, the ______ over the northern plains becomes weaker.
- A.Upper level trough
- B.Monsoon trough
- C.Lee trough
- D.Inverted trough
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The monsoon trough is the belt of low pressure that lies across the northern plains during the rainy season and guides the depressions that bring rain.
Read the full explanation →The line joining the areas having the same rainfall is called:
- A.Isobar
- B.Isohyet
- C.Isotherm
- D.Isohaline
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An isohyet is a line drawn on a map through all the places that receive the same amount of rainfall in a given period.
Read the full explanation →Which of the following pairs of type of climate and area is NOT correct? I. Semi-arid steppe climate - Punjab. II. Monsoon with dry summer - Coromandel coast of Tamil Nadu.
- A.Only I
- B.Neither I nor II
- C.Only II
- D.Both I and II
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In the Koeppen classification as applied to India, the semi-arid steppe climate marked BShw covers parts of Punjab, Haryana, western Uttar Pradesh and the drier interior of the peninsula, where rainfall is low but not as low as in a true desert.
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