Climates of India — Class 7 Social Science
Exploring Society Part 1 · Chapter 3
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- Mathematics
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2- Mathematics
- Space weighted by chapter size
- Charts from the book's own data
- Traps corrected
- Space weighted by chapter size
- Charts from the book's own data
- Traps corrected
- Space weighted by chapter size
- Charts from the book's own data
- Traps corrected
Chapter summary
Key ideas & terms
- Climate
- The long-term pattern of weather a region experiences over several decades, in contrast to weather, which changes from day to day.
- Ritus
- The six traditional Indian seasons — vasanta (spring), grishma (summer), varsha (rainy), sharad (autumn), hemanta (pre-winter) and shishir (winter).
- Monsoon
- Seasonal winds (from the Arabic mausim, 'season') that reverse direction between summer and winter, bringing India's vital rains.
- Microclimate
- A climate localised in a small area, such as an enclosed valley or an 'urban heat island', that differs from the surrounding region.
- Greenhouse effect
- The natural trapping of the Sun's heat by gases like carbon dioxide; human activity has intensified it, causing global warming.
- Climate change
- Significant, long-term shifts in temperature, precipitation and weather events, today driven largely by human activities.
Extra questions & answers
What is the difference between weather and climate?
Weather is what we experience hour to hour or day to day, while climate is the long-term pattern of weather a region shows over several decades.
Name the main types of climate found in India.
Alpine in the Himalayas, temperate in the lower Himalayas, subtropical in the northern plains, arid in the Thar Desert, tropical wet on the west coast, semi-arid on the Deccan, and tropical in the south and east.
What five factors determine a region's climate?
Latitude, altitude, proximity to the sea, winds and topography.
Why do places near the sea have milder temperatures?
The sea acts as a moderator, warming and cooling slowly, so coastal summers are not too hot and winters not too cold, while inland places have more extreme temperatures.
How do the monsoons form?
In summer the land heats faster than the ocean, creating low pressure that draws in moist sea winds; this moisture condenses over the warm land and falls as heavy monsoon rain.
What is the difference between the southwest and northeast monsoons?
The southwest (summer) monsoon advances from the south in June bringing most of India's rain, while the northeast (winter) monsoon brings rain to parts of east and south India as winds reverse.
How does climate affect the economy?
A poor monsoon ('monsoon failure') hurts agriculture, forces people to walk far for water, drives migration to cities, raises food prices and fuels inflation, since industry too depends on predictable weather.
Name four climate-related disasters discussed in the chapter.
Cyclones, floods, landslides and forest fires.
What causes climate change today?
Since the 19th century it has been driven mainly by human activities such as burning fossil fuels, deforestation, harmful industry and wasteful consumption, which release greenhouse gases.
Why does burning fossil fuels warm the planet?
It releases large amounts of greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide that trap extra heat from the Sun, intensifying the natural greenhouse effect and causing rapid global warming.
LET'S EXPLORE
Which are your favourite seasons? Write a short essay explaining your reasons.
My favourite seasons are winter and the monsoon. I like winter because the weather is cool and pleasant, so I can play outside for a long time without getting tired, wear comfortable sweaters and enjoy hot foods. I like the monsoon because the rain makes everything green, fills rivers and ponds, and helps farmers grow crops. Both seasons make nature look fresh and beautiful and bring different festivals and foods to enjoy.
Discuss in groups of three or four and find out whether there are specific events connected to the seasons in your region. Collect information about them—songs, feasts with specific types of food, practices in different seasons, etc. Document these and share your discoveries with your class.
This is a group activity. Students can form groups and ask parents, elders and neighbours about seasonal events in their region. For example, in many parts of India people celebrate Vasanta Panchami in spring, Baisakhi or harvest festivals in spring and summer, Teej and Raksha Bandhan in monsoon, and Diwali and Durga Puja in autumn. Each festival has special songs, dances, and foods like kites and yellow rice in spring or sweets and new grains at harvest. Collect these details, write them with pictures, and present them to the class.
Do you know which trees in your area change colours before the onset of winter? Are there trees that shed their leaves around this time? Why do you think this happens? Find out and document the local names of these trees.
In many areas, deciduous trees such as peepal, neem, gulmohar, semal and teak shed their leaves before winter. Some trees in hill areas or planted species like chinar and maple change colour to yellow, orange or red. This happens because days become shorter and cooler before winter, so trees prepare for less sunlight and water by stopping food making in leaves, breaking down green chlorophyll and letting other colours show, and finally dropping leaves to save water. Students should observe their locality, note local names of such trees, and record when colour change and leaf fall occur.
LET'S EXPLORE
Udhagamandalam (Ooty) and Coimbatore are almost at the same latitude. The range of summer temperatures in Ooty is 10–25° while that in Coimbatore is 25–38°. Why do you think there is such a difference in temperature between these two places?
Although Ooty and Coimbatore are at almost the same latitude, so they receive similar solar energy, Ooty is much cooler because it is at a much higher altitude in the Nilgiri Hills. Temperature decreases with altitude because air pressure and density are lower and the air is farther from the warm ground. Ooty has a summer range of about
LET'S EXPLORE
Since the ability to predict the monsoon rainfall has been an important aspect of life in India, our ancestors observed Nature around them carefully. They developed local traditional knowledge through their experience. This traditional knowledge is an important heritage we must preserve. For example, fishermen on the Konkan coast predict the onset of the monsoon when fishes that normally stay under water are seen at the surface; in parts of southern India monsoon is said to arrive within 50 days after the Golden Shower tree (Cassia fistula) blossoms. Some communities also believe that when crows build their nests high on tree-tops, it indicates less rainfall, whereas if the nests are lower, rainfall is likely to be heavy. Make a list of such local knowledge about rain, fog, snow or hail in your area.
This is a field activity to preserve traditional knowledge. Students can talk to farmers, fishermen and elders and make a list. Examples to look for are: ants carrying eggs to higher ground before heavy rain, frogs croaking loudly before monsoon, dark heavy clouds and cool winds signalling rain, early flowering of neem or mango indicating a good monsoon, and smoke-like fog in valleys on winter mornings. Record the saying, what natural sign is observed, and what weather event it is believed to predict, along with the source of the information.
LET'S EXPLORE
Reach out to your grandparents or elders in your neighbourhood. Ask them about the traditional festivals and dances they remember from their childhood and youth, especially those related to agriculture and rain. What rituals did they participate in? Then organise a cultural fest with your friends. You can showcase some of the dances, songs and activities your elders shared with you. Whether it is a dance, harvest ritual, or a simple story about a prayer to rain gods, try to bring these traditions to life for your classmates.
Students should interview grandparents and elders about rain and harvest festivals such as Pongal, Bihu, Baisakhi, Onam, Teej or Chhath Puja and about folk dances and songs that thank the rain gods or celebrate sowing and harvesting. Note the rituals like offering first grains, praying for timely rain, singing seasonal songs and sharing special foods. Then with friends plan a small cultural fest in class where each group can perform a song or dance, tell a story about a ritual, display pictures and explain how climate and farming shape culture.
THINK ABOUT IT
What are clouds? White lumps in the sky, you might say. But what are they made of?
Clouds look like white or grey lumps in the sky but they are not solid. They are huge collections of tiny water droplets, ice crystals, or a mixture of both, suspended in the atmosphere. They form when moist air rises, cools, and the water vapour condenses around dust particles. When droplets join together and become heavy enough, they fall as rain, snow or hail.
LET'S EXPLORE
Have you seen or read about floods? Look at the physical map of India. Discuss in pairs why you think floods occur in the areas mentioned above.
Yes, floods are common during the monsoon when rivers overflow. States like Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Assam, Kerala and Andhra Pradesh are more flood-prone. On a physical map we see they lie in low-lying river plains or coastal deltas. Bihar and Assam are in the floodplains of Himalayan rivers like the Ganga and Brahmaputra which carry huge monsoon discharge, Kerala and Andhra Pradesh receive very heavy monsoon rain and have coastal rivers that overflow, and Uttar Pradesh has many rivers meeting in flat land where water spreads easily.
LET'S EXPLORE
Observe Fig. 3.15. Describe the effects they may have on people, plants, animals and economic life.
Natural disasters shown in Fig. 3.15 like landslides, floods, cyclones and forest fires have serious effects. For people they can cause loss of life, injury, homelessness, and damage to houses, roads and water supply. For plants and animals they destroy forests, crops, habitats and can kill wildlife. For economic life they damage farms leading to food shortage and price rise, disrupt transport and industry, and require large spending on rescue, relief and rebuilding.
In groups of four or five, identify in each of the above disasters the part of natural causes and the part of human causes. Compare your conclusions.
In groups, students can make a table. Natural causes include heavy monsoon rain, glacial melt, high winds, cyclonic low pressure, steep slopes and lightning. Human causes include deforestation, building on river floodplains or unstable slopes, blocking natural drains with concrete, poor urban drainage, unplanned construction, and carelessness with fire. Most disasters are a mix where natural forces trigger the event but human actions make them worse.
Discuss in the same groups series of preventive measures that could help avoid the above disasters.
Preventive measures include: planting trees and avoiding deforestation to hold soil and reduce landslides and floods, not building on floodplains, riverbanks or steep unstable slopes, keeping drains and waterways clear and using permeable surfaces in cities, following IMD cyclone warnings and evacuating early, creating fire breaks and avoiding open fires in forests, building stronger embankments and houses, and community preparedness with early warning, emergency kits and drills by the NDRF and local authorities.
Questions and activities
(1) Latitude
(b) Creates different climates in the north and south
(2) Altitude
(c) Keeps higher places cooler
(3) Proximity to the ocean
(d) Moderates the temperature
(4) Monsoon winds
(a) Brings wet air to India during summer
2. Answer the following questions: a) What is the difference between weather and climate?
Weather is the day-to-day or hour-to-hour condition of the atmosphere at a place, such as sunny, rainy, windy or hot today. Climate is the long-term pattern of weather in a region over at least three decades, including average temperature, rainfall and wind patterns. Weather changes quickly, climate is more stable.
2. Answer the following questions: b) Why do places near the ocean have milder temperatures than places far away from it?
The sea acts as a temperature moderator. Land heats quickly and cools quickly, while sea water heats and cools slowly. In summer the cool sea air keeps coastal areas at about
2. Answer the following questions: c) What role do monsoon winds play in affecting India’s climate?
Monsoon winds are seasonal winds that control India’s rainy season. In summer, low pressure over the hot Asian landmass pulls moist winds from the Indian Ocean towards India. These southwest monsoon winds bring heavy rain to most of India, filling rivers, supporting crops and creating tropical wet and dry seasons. In winter the winds reverse as northeast monsoon, bringing dry weather to most areas but some rain to eastern and southern India after picking moisture over the Bay of Bengal.
2. Answer the following questions: d) Why is Chennai warm or hot throughout the year, while Leh is cold?
Chennai is on the southeastern coast near the equator at low latitude and at low altitude near sea level, so it receives direct sun rays all year and the sea keeps it warm, giving a tropical climate. Leh is far to the north at higher latitude and at very high altitude in the Himalayas with an alpine climate, where thin cold air and snow-covered peaks keep temperatures low throughout the year.
3. Look at a map of India given at the end of this book. Identify the climate for these cities—Leh, Chennai, Delhi, Panaji and Jaipur. Is the place near the sea, in the mountains, or in the desert? How do these factors affect the climate there?
Leh is in the Himalayan mountains with an alpine cold desert climate; high altitude makes it cold with snowy winters and cool summers. Chennai is a coastal city on the Bay of Bengal with a tropical climate, hot and humid throughout the year and moderated by the sea. Delhi is in the northern plains inland with a subtropical climate, very hot summers and cold winters with a large temperature range. Panaji on the western coast has a tropical wet climate with heavy monsoon rain. Jaipur on the edge of the Thar Desert has an arid to semi-arid climate with extremely hot days, cool nights and very little rainfall because inland location and flat desert topography allow hot dry winds.
4. Draw the monsoon cycle in summers and winters on a map of India. Label where the winds blow in summer and winter Show the direction of winds during the monsoon
On an outline map of India, draw two panels. In the summer panel draw arrows from the Indian Ocean and Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal blowing towards India from the southwest, label it southwest monsoon. In the winter panel draw arrows from the cold Asian landmass over India blowing out towards the Indian Ocean from the northeast, label it northeast monsoon. Colour the summer arrows with moisture and show heavy rain on the Western Ghats, and show dry conditions in winter except a small moist branch over the Bay of Bengal bringing rain to Tamil Nadu and eastern coast.
5. Make a colourful poster showing festivals in India linked to farming and weather (e.g., Baisakhi, Onam). Add pictures or drawings of these festivals.
Make a poster with the title Festivals of Farming and Weather in India. Divide it into boxes for festivals like Baisakhi in Punjab for wheat harvest, Pongal in Tamil Nadu for rice harvest, Onam in Kerala, Bihu in Assam, Makar Sankranti and Lohri in winter. Add drawings of farmers harvesting, decorated bullocks, pots of Pongal, harvest dances, and short captions explaining which season and crop each festival celebrates and how it thanks nature and the monsoon.
6. Imagine you are a farmer in India. Write a short diary entry about how you would prepare for the rainy season.
Diary entry example: "10 May - The summer heat is strong and the IMD forecast says the southwest monsoon will reach Kerala soon. I have cleaned the field channels and repaired the bunds to store rainwater, bought good seeds and manure, and checked my plough. I pray the rains are timely -
7. Identify a natural disaster (e.g., cyclone, flood, landslide, or forest fire) and write a short essay that includes the causes and impacts. Suggest actions that individuals, communities and the government can take to reduce the impact.
Example on cyclones: A cyclone is a strong low-pressure system over the sea that pulls in moist air with high wind speeds and heavy rain, common on India’s eastern coast. Causes are intense heating of sea water forming low pressure, rotation of winds towards the eye, helped by human causes like climate change which warms oceans. Impacts include loss of life, damage to houses, uprooted trees, soil erosion, crop loss and disruption of economy. Individuals can follow IMD warnings, keep emergency kits and move to safe shelters. Communities can plant coastal shelter belts, keep evacuation plans and help in rescue. The government through IMD monitoring, NDRF battalions, early warnings, cyclone shelters and better coastal planning can greatly reduce damage.