Climatic Regions Of India are large-scale geographical areas. They are characterized by distinct and relatively consistent patterns of temperature, precipitation, and other climatic factors. These patterns are primarily determined by latitude, altitude, and proximity to oceans and mountain ranges. Climatic regions play a crucial role in shaping the distribution of plant and animal life. They influence agricultural practices and affect human settlements and activities.

Types of Climatic Regions in India

India has different types of climate due to its large size and diversity of landforms. The different climatic zones are:

Tropical Wet: Living in the hot and humid zones of South India, from Kanyakumari to Orissa, means dealing with scorching temperatures and frequent heavy rain. It’s a perfect environment for lush coconut palms and resilient mangroves to thrive.

Tropical Dry: If you’re in Central India, be prepared for a sizzling hot summer and less than 100 cm of rainfall. The dry deciduous forests here struggle to survive, making it quite a challenging habitat.

Tropical Monsoon: For those on the eastern coast, North-East, and Northern plains, get ready for sweltering summers and chilly winters. Thanks to Western disturbances from the Mediterranean, winter rains make their appearance, adding an interesting twist to the climate.

Arid: In the western regions of Rajasthan and parts of Gujarat, it’s a different story. The rain shadow of the Aravallis brings about extremely low rainfall and temperatures that can reach extremes. The dominant vegetation here includes hardy xerophytes.

Semi-arid: Parts of Punjab, Haryana, and central India offer a climate with low and unpredictable rainfall. High temperatures make it suitable for agriculture, even though the weather can be a bit capricious.

Continental: If you find yourself in the interiors of the Northern plains, get ready for a rollercoaster of temperatures – scorching hot summers and bone-chilling winters. While the eastern parts get summer rains, the western parts experience winter showers.

Cold Desert: Brace yourself for Ladakh in Jammu and Kashmir, where winters are extremely cold, and rainfall is sparse. Junipers, hardy enough to withstand the cold, are the champions of this harsh environment.

Mountain: Heading to the lofty heights of the Himalayas? Expect low temperatures and varying rainfall. The climate changes as you ascend, giving rise to a diverse range of vegetation types. It’s a unique journey through different altitudes and ecosystems.

Factors Causing Climatic Regions In India

India has different climate zones due to many reasons. Location, height, hills, distance from the sea, sea currents, winds, and landforms all play a role.

• India is situated between 68 to 98 degrees east longitude and 8 to 37 degrees north latitude.
• These coordinates result in diverse climates across the country.
• India has tall mountains like the Himalayas in the north and the Shillong plateau in the northeast.
• Higher places, like mountains, tend to be cooler in temperature.
• The presence of hills and mountains alters the way winds and rains reach certain areas, shaping the local climate.
• Regions closer to the sea experience milder temperatures and higher precipitation compared to inland areas.
• The west coast has a tropical climate, while the east coast experiences a monsoon climate.
• Warm currents, such as the Bay of Bengal current, influence coastal climates.
• Cold currents have a cooling effect on coastal regions.
• Winds, such as the southwest and northeast monsoons, bring different patterns of rainfall to various regions.
• Areas in the rain shadow of mountains receive less rainfall.
• Plains tend to be hot and humid.Plateaus are drier, and hills are cooler, each influencing climate differently.
• The west coast enjoys a tropical climate due to its proximity to the sea and the influence of southwest monsoon winds.
• The east coast experiences hot and humid conditions, influenced by moisture-laden northeast monsoon winds.
• The central region is generally hot and dry, with wetter conditions along the Western Ghats and the east coast.
• The Western Ghats create a rain shadow effect, leading to less rainfall in certain areas.
• The northeastern part of India exhibits diverse climates, ranging from tropical to temperate.
• This variation is influenced by high hills and the East Asian monsoons.
• The Himalayas have a cold and alpine climate, with temperatures decreasing at higher altitudes.
• The Thar Desert is arid and extremely hot, primarily due to the rain shadow effect caused by the Aravalli hills.

Koeppen’s Scheme Of Climatic Zones of India

The major climatic types of India based on Koeppen’s classification scheme are:

Tropical climates: Areas with mean monthly temperatures above 18 degrees Celsius throughout the year fall under this category. Most of India’s east coast, northeast, and parts of the west coast experience a tropical climate.

Semi-arid and arid climates: Regions with low precipitation compared to temperature, resulting in dry conditions. Semi-arid climates are designated as ‘S’ and arid as ‘W’ in Koeppen’s scheme. Parts of Rajasthan, Gujarat, and the Thar Desert fall under this group.

Warm temperate climates: Regions with the coldest month’s mean temperature between 0 and 18 degrees Celsius fall here. Parts of the Himalayan foothills experience this climate.

Cool temperate climates: Areas with the warmest month’s mean temperature above 10 degrees Celsius and coldest month below 0 degrees Celsius. Parts of Jammu Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh experience this climate.

Ice climates: Regions where the warmest month’s mean temperature is below 10 degrees Celsius. Limited parts of Ladakh and the Himalayan ranges have an ice climate.

Trewartha’s Climate Classification of India

When we talk about India’s climate regions, Trewartha’s classification really nails it. His way of breaking down the country into different climate types just clicks with the soil, plants, and how farming is done. Trewartha took what Koppen started in 1954 and made it even better. He looked at temperature and rainfall data to come up with these cool climate categories.

According to Trewartha, India has four main climate regions with seven sub-regions. It’s like a perfect puzzle that fits together to show us the diverse climates in India. In simpler terms, Trewartha’s classification is like the key that helps us unlock the secrets of India’s climate zones and how they connect to nature and farming. His tweaks to Koppen’s original system turned out to be just what India needed.

Equatorial Climate (Am):

• Coastal areas and the Western Ghats.
• High humidity, temperatures consistently above 18°C, and heavy rainfall exceeding 200 cm.
• Lush, dense forests are a common sight in this region.

Tropical Savanna Climate (Aw):

• Covers most of peninsular India.
• Average temperatures around 27°C, but with less rainfall, especially during a dry season.
• This region features a mix of moderate temperatures and periodic dry spells.

Tropical Steppe Climate (BS):

• Rain shadow areas of peninsular India.
• Average temperatures of 27°C, with a tendency towards drier conditions.
• This area experiences less rainfall due to its position in the rain shadow, leading to a somewhat arid environment.

Subtropical Steppe Climate (BSh):

• Parts of Gujarat, Rajasthan, and South Haryana.
• Semi-arid conditions, with temperatures rising above 27°C in summer and dropping below 15°C in winter.
• The region sees moderate rainfall (60-75 cm) and significant temperature variations between seasons.

Tropical Arid Climate (BWh):

• Thar Desert
• Extremely high summer temperatures exceeding 48°C and very low rainfall below 25 cm.
• Sparse, thorny vegetation is adapted to the arid conditions of this desert area.

Humid Subtropical Climate (Cwa):

• Northern India plains.
• Colder winters under 18°C and hot summers over 45°C.
• Rainfall varies from 250 to 65 cm from west to east.
• The region experiences a wide range of temperatures and a diverse precipitation pattern from west to east.

Mountain Climate (H):

• Himalayan regions.
• Summer temperatures around 17°C and winter temperatures about 8°C, varying with elevation.
• Rainfall decreases from east to west in this picturesque mountainous terrain.

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