Question

Which winds account for rainfall along the Malabar Coast?

Answer 1

Hint:The easterly jetstream plays a significant role in the distribution of monsoon rainfall as it steers the tropical depression into India.

Complete Answer:The Arabian Sea branch of the South-West Monsoon winds account for rainfall along the Malabar Coast extending along with the states of Karnataka and Kerala. The South-west Monsoon winds enter the coast of Kerala by 1st June and move swiftly to reach Mumbai and Kolkata between June 10 and June 13. The South-west Monsoon covers the entire subcontinent by mid-July. Most of the rainfall along the Western Ghats is orographic as the moist air rises along the Ghats.
Some characteristic features of the South-west Monsoon season are
- Inflow of south-west Monsoon into India brings about a total change in weather. This season is locally termed as the rainy season or the season of South-west Monsoon.
- The Indian subcontinent receives a major amount of its rainfall during the period of South-west Monsoon.
- 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.

Note: The intensity of rainfall over the west coast of India is related to certain factors such as the offshore meteorological conditions and the position of the equatorial jet stream along the eastern coast of Africa.