Climate

The formation of a very low-pressure system with very high-speed winds revolving around it is known as a cyclone.

Monsoon tends to have 'breaks' in rainfall, meaning there are wet and dry spells in between.

A monsoon is a large-scale shift in wind direction, typically bringing:

• Heavy rainfall in summer (wet monsoon)

• Dry conditions in winter (dry monsoon)

This is caused by the differential heating of land and sea, creating pressure differences that drive moist or dry winds.

Convectional Rainfall (वातान्‍तरणीय वर्षा)

• Cause: Intense heating of the Earth’s surface → air warms → rises → cools → condenses → rain

• Region: Equatorial areas (e.g., Amazon, Congo Basin, Indonesia)

• Features:

  • Short duration but intense

  • Occurs mostly in the afternoon

  • Common in tropical regions

Orographic Rainfall 

• Cause: Moist air is forced to rise over mountains → cools → condenses → rain on windward side

• Region: Western Ghats in India, Himalayas, Andes

• Features:

  • Heavy rainfall on windward side

  • Leeward side remains dry (called rain shadow region)

Cyclonic Rainfall 

• Cause: Air masses of different temperatures meet → warm air rises over cold → condenses → rain

• Region: Temperate zones, tropical cyclones (Bay of Bengal, Caribbean)

• Features:

  • Widespread and long-lasting

  • Associated with low-pressure systems

  • Moderate to heavy rainfall over a large area

These are the phases of the hydrological cycle in which the water first heats and evaporates and later condenses and falls because of a decreased temperature.

In the region of soft rocks, such as sedimentary rocks, where winds blow constantly in one direction, they impact the surface of the rocks and blow away their material through dual processes of deflation and abrasion.

This leads to the formation of Yardangs.

Sea Breeze and Land Breeze are two local winds that occur near coastal areas due to differences in the heating and cooling rates of land and water.

Sea Breeze

When: During the day
Cause:

• Land heats up faster than water.

• Warm air over land rises.

• Cool air from the sea moves in to replace it.

Direction: From sea to land
Effect:

• Brings cooler air to coastal areas during daytime

• Common in summer afternoons

Land Breeze

When: During the night
Cause:

• Land cools down faster than water.

• Warm air over the sea rises.

• Cool air from the land moves toward the sea.

Direction: From land to sea
Effect:

• Brings cooler air over the sea at night

• Occurs mostly after sunset

Cumulonimbus is a dense towering vertical cloud associated with thunderstorms and atmospheric instability, forming from water vapour carried by powerful upward air currents.

An area's climate is affected by three main factors its

1. latitude,
2. its height above sea level,
3. and its distance from the sea.