Question

Answer the following questions briefly.
Which winds bring rainfall in India? Why is it so important?

Answer 1

Hint: Monsoon has been derived from the Arabic term ‘Mausem” which implies seasonal reversal in the wind pattern over the year. These alterations are a distinguishing feature of the Monsoon type climate.

Complete Answer: Southwest monsoon winds are responsible for bringing in rainfall in India. The heating of land and sea during the summer months is the mechanism which sets the stage for the monsoon winds to drift towards the Indian subcontinent. Monsoon winds come in two main branches, the Arabian Sea Branch and the Bay of Bengal Branch. Rainfall lowers down the temperature of the subcontinent substantially. The rainfall over the entire West Coast, Western Ghats, Maharashtra, Gujarat and in some parts of Madhya Pradesh is caused by the Arabian Sea branch while the Bay of Bengal strikes at the Bengal Coast and the southern face of the Shillong Plateau. The period from June to September is the season of South-West Monsoon. During this season rainfall occurs over the whole of India, as Monsoon winds blow from sea to land. So they are moisture-laden and cause widespread rainfall all over India. 75 percent to 90 percent of the annual rainfall occurs during the period of these Monsoon winds.

Rainfall is beneficial for the farmers as they start to plant crops with the arrival of monsoon rains. A good monsoon season will result in the good output of the farmers, demand for consumer goods also increases as well as the income of the rural people. Further, these lead to the establishment of a stronger economy. India’s economy of about 15 percent is dependent on the agricultural sectors.

Note: Monsoon is a little known climatic phenomenon and numerous attempts have been made by scientists to discover the exact nature and causation of monsoon but so far there is no single theory which is capable of explaining monsoon fully.