Climate
In a country where topography varies
wildly, climatic conditions are only
bound to vary wildly too.
Classified as a hot tropical country
by many, that is a definition that
holds true for most of but not all
of India. Exceptions include the
northern states of Himachal Pradesh
and Jammu & Kashmir in the north and
Sikkim in the northeastern hills.
In most of India summer is hot. It
begins in April and continues till
the beginning of October. The heat
peaks in June with temperatures in
the northern plains and the west
soaring above 46° C. The monsoons
hit the country during this period
too, beginning 1st of June when they
are supposed to find the Kerala
coast. Moisture laden trade winds
sweep the country bringing relief to
a parched northern India but
devastation in the east where the
rivers Brahmaputra and Ganga flood
annually. Tamil Nadu in the south
receives rainfall between October
and December, beneficiary of the
retreating monsoons.
Indias extensive coastline lies
almost entirely below the Tropic of
Cancer. The coast is usually warm
and moist, prone to heavy rains in
the monsoons and high summer
temperatures. The eastern coast is
vulnerable to cyclones. Winters here
are mild and pleasantly sunny.
Hill Stations are the happy
peculiarity that came up here when
British wives and officers needed to
flee the oppressive heat and malaria
of the plains. Quaint towns that
buzz along "mall roads", tucked away
in hills all over India, they are
now weekend getaways at the height
of summer for families and couples
from Indias cities.
The plains in the north and even the
barren countryside of Rajasthan reel
under a cold wave every year in
December-January. Minimum
temperatures could dip below 4° C
but maximum temperatures usually do
not fall lower than 12° C. In the
northern high altitude areas of
Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir,
Sikkim, and parts of Uttar Pradesh,
it snows through the winter and even
summer months are only mildly warm.
The east receives rain from April to
August. September to November is
relatively dry and the region only
has sporadic showers. There are
winter rains in December and
January. This abates for two months
and then its time for the monsoon
season yet again. The central
plateau has similar climate to the
north but the mercury does not dip
as low in winter. It rains from
mid-June to September.
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