Question

Consider the following statements:
A) Tamil Nadu is the only area that receives about half of its rainfall from north-east monsoon winds.
B) Kerala is the only state receiving very heavy rainfall from the southwest monsoon winds.
C) In India, the southwest monsoon is stronger than the northeast monsoon.
Which of these are correct statements?

Answer 1

Hint: Monsoons are usually winds of reversal, along with the corresponding precipitation changes, as it brings about seasonal changes in circulations and precipitation in the atmosphere. The Indian sub-continent receives rainfall from two major monsoon winds i.e., the north-east monsoon winds and the south-west monsoon winds.

Complete answer:
Tamil Nadu is the only area that receives about half of its rainfall from the northeast monsoons also known as the retreating monsoons. As of mid-September, the monsoon winds begin to retreat and persist until the end of November. The pace of the process is quite slow and this is the sole reason why the coastal parts of Tamil Nadu receive most of the rainfall caused by this wind system. Hence, this statement is correct.

Kerala is the state which receives the highest amount of rainfall from the southwest monsoon in the months of early June to mid-September. This happens due to the location of Kerala as its location is in close proximity to the Indian Ocean from where the southwest monsoons retreat. Thus, option (B) is the right statement.

The south-western monsoon arrives in the Indian subcontinent after 2-3 months of hot and humid climate. The strength of this wind depends on the easterly tropical jet which is higher than that or the north-east monsoons. Hence, it can be concluded that south-west monsoons are stronger than the north-east monsoon winds and this option can be identified as the correct assertion as well.

Therefore the correct answers are options (A), (B) and (C).

Note: In general, monsoon is used to refer to the rainy phase of a pattern changing season, although this phase could also be an indicator of a dry stage technically before and after its onset.
The two Indian monsoon winds soon after crossing the Indian Ocean, the Arabian Sea, and the Bay of Bengal, the south-west monsoon winds, also known as summer monsoon, blows from the sea to the land. On the other hand, the north-east monsoon is also called the winter monsoon and these winds move from the land towards the sea.