Question

Define Loo and Norwesters.

Answer 1

Hint: Climatic conditions of a region are more permanent in nature and are developed over millions of years affected by various factors. The most determining factor for the climate in any region including India is the location of latitudes. The pressure and wind system in India is also determined by the latitude and the altitude of the place. Other conditions associated with the climate in India are Western cyclonic disturbances and tropical cyclones.

Complete answer: Loo is a hot dusty dry type of winds that are local to India, Pakistan and other parts of the subcontinent. These winds blow during the day during the months of May and June in the Northern Plains. As a result of it, the temperature rises to 45-50 degrees and may cause sunstrokes. It does not affect the coastal areas and areas at a higher altitude. The most impact caused by loo is in the states of Bihar, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Haryana where it brings about severe drought conditions.
Norwesters are also known as Kar Baisakhi in Bengal are, as the name suggests, winds that blow in a northwest direction. They are generally accompanied by heavy rainfall and thunderstorms and occur during the months of April and May. It helps tea cultivation in Assam and rice and jute cultivation in West Bengal.

Note: India's climate is affected by two seasonal winds - the northeast monsoon and the southwest monsoon. The northeast trade winds prevail during the cold months and blow from high pressure over the land towards the low-pressure centre in the Bay of Bengal. They carry moisture and bring rainfall to the Coromandel coast in Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh. The southwest monsoon winds, on the other hand, is caused due to low pressure over the subcontinent and high pressure in the Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal developed over the warm months. The winds carry moisture and bring rainfall to almost the entire subcontinent but heavily in the Western Ghats and the north-east states.