The Everchanging Weather of India

Currently, the entire world is experiencing a change in the weather patterns and in the climates of different regions all over the world. Even a small change in the direction of the winds, rains etc is capable of affecting the weather of multiple places. This kind of change in the climate of a region has multiple causes, but the main cause is the increase in the level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Carbon dioxide traps heat and due to increase in the concentration of CO2, more heat from the sun is trapped in the atmosphere. This causes an increase in the overall temperature of the Earth. When this rise in temperature lasts for a decade or longer, it is termed as global warming.

The climate for any region depends on the altitude, latitude, pressure & wind system, distance from the sea, the ocean currents and the relief features. The climate of India is described as a monsoon type climate, but there are variations in the climatic conditions across the country.

Latitude: Since the Tropic of Cancer passes through the country, the country experience both tropical and sub-tropical climates

Altitude: India has the Himalayas in the North which block the cold winds from central Asia from entering the region. Hence the country experiences milder winters compared to central Asia.

Pressure & winds: In winters, the region near the Himalayas has high pressure, due to this these winds start moving towards the south where there is low pressure. During summers, high pressure exists on the southern part of the country and the low pressure is over the northern part of the country. Hence the winds blow from the south to the north. These winds play a very important role in the climate and weather of the regions.

Monsoon winds: The monsoon season in India mainly occurs due to the differential heating of land & water. This leads to a change in the pressure which in turn gives rise to currents.

India has mainly 3 seasons, i.e. Summer, Monsoon and Winter. The monsoon season is further divided into two known as the advancing and retreating monsoons. 

In summers, the temperatures should be around 45° C and in winters, the lowest in the country should be around 10°C. The monsoon season usually occurs in the months of June to September. 

Over the years due to global warming and the subsequent climate change, these patterns have changed drastically. As of this past winter, some areas experienced extreme cold while some did not feel the winter season at all, and those who did, they lasted for very short durations. Even during the summer of 2019, many places all over the country broke records for their highest temperatures ever recorded. The monsoons were delayed and uneven. Some places received no rainfall at all while some received too much. The temperatures on the coasts fluctuate the least during all the seasons, while the northern part of the country experiences maximum fluctuation of the same. All of these changes can be attributed to the rise in the global temperature. Due to rise of temperatures, there is a change in the pressure areas which in turn cause a change in the intensity and directions of currents and winds.    

In 2019, we experienced an odd and different types of weather pattern. The summers lasted long, monsoons even longer and late winters which did not last for long. Even as we entered 2020, the weather was off, with some days super cold and others hot. 

The monsoons which provide 80% of the total rainfall in the subcontinent and on which India is dependent on for agriculture is experiencing disturbing changes. Researchers have also found that there is substantial variability within the monsoon season, including fluctuations between periods of heavy rainfall and low rainfall. These fluctuations can cause extreme wet and dry regional conditions that adversely impact agricultural yields, water resources, infrastructure and human systems. The actual duration of the monsoon season has shortened and delayed. Hence, we experience rains for just a few months but the intensity of the rainfall has increased which further causes floods. The irregular distribution of rainfall means that while some parts receive excess rainfall which cause floods, other parts experience low rainfall which later on may cause drought like situations or scarcity of water. 

This change in the nature of rainfall can be attributed to the change in the wind intensities and direction. The difference between low pressure areas and high-pressure areas decide the direction and intensities of these winds. If the pressure difference is disturbed or changed, it affects the winds. These pressure areas are mainly affected by the temperature of those areas. If the temperatures differ, it then changes the pressure over those areas. With deforestation on mass scale, burning of fossil fuels and the increase in the concentration of the carbon dioxide, the overall surface temperature of the earth is changing. This causes the temperature of areas to change and hence affects the pressure on those areas which further affect the direction and intensities of the winds.

In summer this year, the temperatures are expected to be the highest during the month of May. In Mumbai, the hottest month is expected to be May with an average temperature of 33.4°C.  In Delhi, the hottest month is expected to be June with the average temperature of 38.8°C. Further, in other cities like Kolkata, Chennai, Pune, Srinagar, the average highest temperature is expected to be 35.2°C (May), 38.1°C (May), 36.9°C (May) and 29.6°C (July) respectively.

It is likely that the average temperatures exceed this as it has been observed over the last few years that the temperatures all around the globe have been increasing along with the polar ice caps melting.

In the monsoons, Pune is expected to receive rainfall between the months of June to October, the July being the wettest month with an average rainfall of 214mm. In Srinagar, it is expected to rain almost throughout the year with the wettest month being March with a rainfall of 115mm. Mumbai is expected to receive rainfall from June to September with July being the wettest month with an average rainfall over 900mm. Delhi is expected to have rainfall mainly from June to September with the wettest month being august and the average rainfall being 257mm. Chennai will experience rainfall from July to December, November being the wettest month with an average rainfall of 343mm. 

Although these are the expected levels of rainfall, it is highly possible that due to climate change, some places may receive more rainfall than usual while others may receive less rainfall than expected. Just last year, Maharashtra experienced double the expected rainfall which caused floods all over the state, with different parts of the state being affected.

Floods are caused due to various reasons. The reasons vary from places to places. The main cause of floods is heavy rainfalls. The water carrying capacity of rivers has been compromised due to heavy siltation of the river beds. Many settlements and buildings have been built dangerously close to the river banks which. In urban areas, blockage of drains causes flooding. A lot of wastes like plastics contribute to this blockage. Landslides cause floods in the northern and north-eastern parts of the country. Other natural disasters like cyclones and earthquakes too cause flooding. Certain safety measures should be taken to ensure that floods do not occur, and in case they do, they don’t cause much damage. Low lying areas which are close to the seas or oceans or which have rivers flowing through them, for example, Pune & Mumbai, are more prone to floods than places at higher altitudes. Due to the polar ice caps melting, the level of the oceans are increasing which contributes to the floods as the water inland does not have any way of draining into the water bodies (since the water bodies already are at full capacity). Places with poor drainage systems too are at higher risks of flooding. This can be prevented by ensuring that the drainages are not blocked by anything and by properly disposing waste.

Climate change and global warming are real phenomena which are caused by humans. It may be too late to completely reverse the damage caused by both but it is never too late to start acting on it. Each person can contribute a little to it by not littering their surroundings and by trying to reduce their carbon footprints.  

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