Indian Seasons, Western Disturbances and Local Winds: Loo, Kalbaisakhi and Mango Showers

Four Seasons, Many Named Winds

The India Meteorological Department divides the year into four seasons: winter (December to February), the hot weather or pre-monsoon season (March to May), the south-west monsoon (June to September) and the retreating monsoon or post-monsoon season (October and November). Exams rarely ask for the months alone. They ask which wind or rain belongs to which season and which region.

The reason India has so many named local winds is its size. The north-western plains swing from freezing nights to fifty-degree afternoons, while Kerala stays humid all year. Each season produces a signature weather event, and each event has a regional name that farmers and examiners both use.

This short follows the calendar: winter rain from western disturbances, the hot-weather storms and winds of April to June, the monsoon, and the October rain that surprises Tamil Nadu. Memorise the pairing of name, place and month.

1. Winter rainfall in Punjab, Haryana and Delhi is mainly caused by:

2. Mango showers, which help the ripening of mangoes, are typical of:

3. Kalbaisakhi is best described as:

4. The Tamil Nadu coast receives most of its annual rainfall during:

5. Loo is a:

6. The retreating monsoon season in India is:

7. Western disturbances are especially beneficial for which crop in north-west India?

8. Mawsynram, known as one of the wettest places on Earth, is in: