NCERT Solutions for Class 11 Geography Chapter 4: Climate

These Class 11 Geography Chapter 4 solutions cover Climate from the textbook India: Physical Environment, updated for the 2026–27 session. The chapter explains the monsoon type of climate of India — its unity and regional diversity, the factors that control India’s climate, the nature, onset, break and withdrawal of the Indian monsoon, the rhythm of the four seasons, the distribution of rainfall, and the impact of monsoons and global warming on India. Below you will find every NCERT exercise question reproduced verbatim and answered in exam-ready style, plus key terms, extra practice, MCQs, Assertion–Reason questions and FAQs.

Class: 11 Subject: Geography Book: India: Physical Environment Chapter: 4 – Climate Unit: III – Climate and Vegetation Session: 2026–27
On this page

Class 11 Geography Chapter 4 – Overview

Chapter 4, Climate, describes how India has a hot monsoonal climate — the same broad climate that prevails over South and Southeast Asia — while showing striking regional variations in temperature, winds and rainfall (Churu may record 50°C in June while Tawang stays at 19°C; Cherrapunji and Mawsynram get over 1,080 cm of rain while Jaisalmer gets less than 9 cm). It explains the controlling factors of India’s climate — latitude, the Himalayan mountains, distribution of land and water, distance from the sea, altitude and relief — and the working of the Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ), jet streams and El Niño. It then traces the nature of the Indian monsoon (onset, break and the two branches — Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal), the four seasons (cold weather, hot weather, southwest monsoon and retreating monsoon), the traditional six Indian seasons, the distribution of rainfall and its variability, the role of monsoons in India’s economic life, and the threat of global warming.

Key Terms & Concepts

Weather vs. climate: weather is the momentary state of the atmosphere, while climate is the average of weather conditions over a long period (about 50 years or more).

Monsoon: from the word mausim, it refers to the climate associated with the seasonal reversal in the direction of winds over a year.

Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ): a low-pressure zone near the equator where the trade winds converge and air ascends; in July it shifts north to about 20°N–25°N over the Gangetic plain (the ‘monsoon trough’).

Coriolis force: the deflective force caused by the Earth’s rotation that bends the southeast trades, after they cross the equator, into the southwest monsoon.

Jet streams: fast upper-air currents; the withdrawal of the westerly jet stream and the onset of the easterly (tropical) jet stream at about 15°N is held responsible for the burst of the monsoon.

Onset, break and burst of the monsoon: onset is the arrival of the rain-bearing winds (Kerala by 1 June); a break is a dry spell of one or more weeks during the rainy season; the burst is the sudden, violent onset of heavy rain.

El Niño: a warm current off the Peruvian coast appearing every 3–7 years that distorts equatorial circulation and can weaken or delay the Indian monsoon; used by the IMD for long-range forecasting.

Loo: hot, dry and oppressive winds that blow over the northern plains during the hot weather season.

Local storms: Mango Shower (pre-monsoon showers in Kerala/Karnataka), Blossom Shower (helps coffee flowers), Nor’Westers / Kalbaisakhi (Bengal and Assam), and the Loo of the plains.

Retreating monsoon & ‘October heat’: the withdrawal of the southwest monsoon (Oct–Nov) brings clear skies, high humidity and oppressive warmth, with cyclonic rain on the eastern coast.

Global warming & greenhouse gases: the rise in mean surface temperature due to carbon dioxide, methane, CFCs and nitrous oxide; it threatens rising sea levels, more flooding and shifting climatic boundaries.

NCERT Exercise — Full Solutions

All questions below are reproduced verbatim from the NCERT textbook’s end-of-chapter Exercises. Answers are original and written in exam-ready style.

1. Choose the right answer from the four alternatives given below.

(i) What causes rainfall on the coastal areas of Tamil Nadu in the beginning of winters? (a) South-West monsoon (b) Temperate cyclones (c) North-Eastern monsoon (d) Local air circulation

ANSWER (c) North-Eastern monsoon. During October and November the retreating north-east monsoon picks up moisture while crossing the Bay of Bengal and causes torrential rainfall over the Tamil Nadu (Coromandal) coast in the beginning of winter.

(ii) What is the proportion of area of India which receives annual rainfall less than 75 cm? (a) Half (b) One-third (c) Two-third (d) Three-fourth

ANSWER (b) One-third. Roughly one-third of India — western Rajasthan, parts of the Deccan plateau, Ladakh and similar regions of low and inadequate rainfall — receives less than 75 cm of annual rainfall.

(iii) Which one of the following is not a fact regarding South India? (a) Diurnal range of temperature is less here. (b) Annual range of temperature is less here. (c) Temperatures here are high throughout the year. (d) Extreme climatic conditions are found here.

ANSWER (d) Extreme climatic conditions are found here. South India does not have extreme climatic conditions. Because of the moderating influence of the surrounding seas and its proximity to the equator, the south has a small diurnal and annual range of temperature and remains warm throughout the year. Extremes of climate are a feature of the north Indian interior, not the south.

(iv) Which one of the following phenomenon happens when the sun shines vertically over the Tropic of Capricorn in the southern hemisphere? (a) High pressure develops over North-western India due to low temperatures. (b) Low pressure develops over North-western India due to high temperatures. (c) No changes in temperature and pressure occur in north-western India. (d) ‘Loo’ blows in the North-western India.

ANSWER (a) High pressure develops over North-western India due to low temperatures. When the sun shines vertically over the Tropic of Capricorn (around 22 December), it is the cold weather season in India. Low temperatures over the northern plain create feeble high-pressure conditions, and winds begin to blow outward from this high-pressure zone towards the low-pressure area over the Indian Ocean.

2. Answer the following questions in about 30 words.

(i) What is the Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone?

ANSWER The Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) is a low-pressure belt near the equator where the trade winds of the two hemispheres converge, causing air to ascend. In July it shifts north over the Gangetic plain, forming the monsoon trough.

(ii) What is meant by ‘bursting of monsoon’? Name the place of India which gets the highest rainfall.

ANSWER The sudden, violent onset of the rain-bearing southwest monsoon — with thunder, lightning and heavy rain that abruptly lowers temperature — is called the ‘bursting’ (or burst/break) of the monsoon. Mawsynram (Khasi Hills, Meghalaya) receives the highest average annual rainfall in the world.

(iii) Which type(s) of cyclones cause rainfall in north-western India during winter? Where do they originate?

ANSWER Weak temperate cyclones (western disturbances) cause winter rainfall in north-western India. They originate over the eastern Mediterranean Sea and travel eastwards across West Asia, Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan before reaching India.

3. Answer the following questions in not more than 125 words.

(i) Notwithstanding the broad climatic unity, the climate of India has many regional variations. Elaborate this statement giving suitable examples.

ANSWER Although the whole of India shares a single monsoon type of climate, the climate varies greatly from region to region in temperature, rainfall and the rhythm of seasons. Temperature: in summer the mercury may touch 50°C at Churu (Rajasthan) while Tawang (Arunachal Pradesh) records only 19°C on the same day; on a December night Drass (Ladakh) may fall to –45°C while Thiruvananthapuram stays at about 20°C. Rainfall: Cherrapunji and Mawsynram receive over 1,080 cm a year, but Jaisalmer rarely gets more than 9 cm; Tura may get as much rain in a single day as Jaisalmer gets in ten years. Form & season: the Himalayas get snowfall while the rest of India gets rain; most of the country is rained on in June–September, but the Tamil Nadu coast gets its rain in early winter. These differences are best seen as sub-types of one monsoon climate.

(ii) How many distinct seasons are found in India as per the Indian Meteorological Department? Discuss the weather conditions associated with any one season in detail.

ANSWER The Indian Meteorological Department recognises four distinct seasons: (i) the cold weather season, (ii) the hot weather season, (iii) the southwest monsoon season, and (iv) the retreating monsoon season. The Cold Weather Season: it sets in by mid-November in northern India, with December and January the coldest months; the mean daily temperature stays below 21°C and may fall below freezing in Punjab and Rajasthan. Feeble high pressure develops over the northern plain, and light winds (3–5 km/h) blow outwards — westerly down the Ganga valley and north-easterly over the Bay of Bengal. The weather is generally pleasant but is disturbed by western disturbances (temperate cyclones from the Mediterranean) that bring light but valuable rain to the north-west, beneficial for rabi crops, and snowfall in the lower Himalayas. In the south, the moderating sea keeps temperatures equable.

Project/Activity

On the outline map of India, show the following: (i) Areas of winter rain (ii) Wind direction during the summer season (iii) Areas having less than 15°C temperature in January (iv) Isohyte of 100 cm.

ANSWER (map guidance) This is a map-work activity; mark the following on an outline map of India (no image is reproduced here for copyright reasons): (i) Areas of winter rain: shade the north-west (Jammu & Kashmir, Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, western Uttar Pradesh — western-disturbance rain) and the south-east coast (Tamil Nadu and southern Andhra Pradesh — north-east monsoon rain). (ii) Wind direction during summer (SW monsoon): draw arrows of the Arabian Sea branch (south-westerly, striking the west coast) and the Bay of Bengal branch (entering from the south-east and deflecting up the Ganga and Brahmaputra valleys). (iii) Areas below 15°C in January: shade the northern mountains and the north-western and northern plains (Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal, Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and the Himalayan belt). (iv) Isohyet of 100 cm: draw a line joining places that receive 100 cm of annual rainfall — running broadly along the Western Ghats, the northern Ganga plain near the sub-Himalayas, and the north-east, separating high-rainfall from medium- and low-rainfall regions. (An isohyet joins places of equal rainfall; the question’s spelling ‘isohyte’ is a textbook typo.)

Extra Practice Questions

Short Answer Type Questions

Q1. Name any four factors that control the climate of India.

ANSWERIndia’s climate is controlled by latitude (the Tropic of Cancer dividing it into tropical and sub-tropical zones), the Himalayan mountains (which block cold northern winds and trap the monsoon), the distribution of land and water, distance from the sea, altitude and relief.

Q2. What is a ‘break’ in the monsoon?

ANSWERA ‘break’ in the monsoon is a dry spell during the rainy season when, after a few days of rain, the rain fails to occur for one or more weeks. In northern India breaks happen when rain-bearing storms become infrequent along the monsoon trough; on the west coast they occur when winds blow parallel to the coast.

Q3. Why does the Tamil Nadu coast remain dry during the southwest monsoon season?

ANSWERThe Tamil Nadu coast stays dry in the southwest monsoon for two reasons: it lies parallel to the Bay of Bengal branch (so the winds do not strike it), and it falls in the rain-shadow of the Arabian Sea branch east of the Western Ghats.

Q4. What are the local storms ‘Loo’ and ‘Nor’Westers’?

ANSWERThe Loo is a hot, dry and oppressive wind that blows over the northern plains from Punjab to Bihar during the hot weather season. Nor’Westers (Kalbaisakhi) are dreaded evening thunderstorms of Bengal and Assam that are useful for tea, jute and rice; in Assam they are called ‘Bardoisila’.

Q5. State two ways in which the Himalayas influence the climate of India.

ANSWERThe lofty Himalayas act as a climatic divide: (i) they shield the subcontinent from the cold northern winds that originate near the Arctic, and (ii) they trap the rain-bearing monsoon winds, forcing them to shed their moisture within India.

Long Answer Type Questions

Q1. Explain the mechanism of the onset of the southwest monsoon in India.

ANSWERDuring April and May the sun shines vertically over the Tropic of Cancer and the large landmass north of the Indian Ocean gets intensely heated, forming an intense low-pressure cell over north-western India. Because the sea heats slowly, high pressure persists over the southern Indian Ocean, so the pressure gradient draws the southeast trade winds across the equator. After crossing the equator (between 40°E and 60°E) the Coriolis force deflects them into a south-westerly direction — the southwest monsoon, essentially the displaced southeast trades. The northward shift of the ITCZ and the withdrawal of the westerly jet stream, followed by the onset of the easterly jet stream at about 15°N, trigger the sudden burst of the monsoon. It sets in over Kerala by 1 June, reaches Mumbai and Kolkata by 10–13 June, and engulfs the whole country by mid-July.

Q2. Describe the two branches of the southwest monsoon and the rainfall they cause.

ANSWERAs the southwest monsoon approaches India it splits into two branches. The Arabian Sea branch further splits into three: one is obstructed by the Western Ghats and gives 250–400 cm of very heavy rain on the windward Sahyadris and west coast, leaving a dry rain-shadow to the east; a second strikes north of Mumbai and brings rain to central India along the Narmada and Tapi valleys (about 15 cm to the Chotanagpur plateau); a third strikes Saurashtra and Kachchh, giving scanty rain over Rajasthan before joining the Bay branch. The Bay of Bengal branch strikes Myanmar and is deflected by the Arakan Hills towards the subcontinent, entering West Bengal and Bangladesh; it then divides — one part moves up the Ganga plains to Punjab, the other up the Brahmaputra valley — and a sub-branch strikes the Khasi Hills, giving Mawsynram the world’s highest rainfall.

Q3. Discuss the importance of monsoons in the economic life of India.

ANSWERThe monsoon is the axis around which the entire agricultural cycle of India revolves, because about 64 per cent of Indians depend on agriculture and Indian agriculture is largely based on the southwest monsoon. Except in the Himalayas, temperatures everywhere stay above the threshold needed to grow crops all year, and the regional variations of the monsoon climate allow a great variety of crops. However, the variability of rainfall brings droughts or floods to some part of the country almost every year, so agricultural prosperity depends on timely and well-distributed rain, especially where irrigation is undeveloped. Sudden monsoon bursts cause soil erosion, while winter rain from temperate cyclones is highly beneficial for rabi crops. Regional climatic variety is also reflected in India’s diverse food, clothing and house types.

MCQs & Assertion–Reason

1. The word ‘monsoon’ refers to the climate associated with:

(a) heavy rainfall    (b) seasonal reversal in the direction of winds    (c) high temperature    (d) low pressure only

2. The southwest monsoon normally sets in over the Kerala coast by:

(a) 1st May    (b) 1st June    (c) 1st July    (d) 15th June

3. Which place receives the highest average annual rainfall in the world?

(a) Cherrapunji    (b) Jaisalmer    (c) Mawsynram    (d) Tura

4. El Niño is associated with warm currents off the coast of:

(a) India    (b) Peru    (c) Australia    (d) Japan

5. In July the ITCZ shifts northward to about:

(a) the equator    (b) 5°N    (c) 20°N–25°N over the Gangetic plain    (d) 40°N

6. The hot, dry and oppressive wind of the northern plains in summer is called:

(a) Loo    (b) Kalbaisakhi    (c) Mango Shower    (d) Bardoisila

7. Winter rainfall in north-western India is caused by:

(a) the southwest monsoon    (b) the north-east monsoon    (c) temperate cyclones (western disturbances)    (d) local convection

8. The ‘October heat’ is a feature of the:

(a) cold weather season    (b) hot weather season    (c) southwest monsoon season    (d) retreating monsoon season

9. The burst of the monsoon in India is held responsible to the setting in of the:

(a) westerly jet stream    (b) easterly jet stream    (c) Coriolis force    (d) Loo

10. The Tamil Nadu coast remains dry during the southwest monsoon because it lies:

(a) on the windward side of the Western Ghats    (b) parallel to the Bay of Bengal branch and in the rain-shadow of the Arabian Sea branch    (c) too far north    (d) at high altitude

Answer key: 1-(b), 2-(b), 3-(c), 4-(b), 5-(c), 6-(a), 7-(c), 8-(d), 9-(b), 10-(b).

For each Assertion–Reason question, choose: (A) Both true and the Reason correctly explains the Assertion; (B) Both true but the Reason is not the correct explanation; (C) Assertion true, Reason false; (D) Assertion false, Reason true.

A-R 1. Assertion: India has a monsoon type of climate.

Reason: There is a seasonal reversal in the direction of winds over the subcontinent during the year.

A-R 2. Assertion: South India does not experience a well-defined cold weather season.

Reason: The moderating influence of the sea and proximity to the equator keep its temperatures equable.

A-R 3. Assertion: The southwest monsoon blows from sea to land in summer.

Reason: An intense low-pressure cell develops over north-western India, attracting the southeast trades across the equator.

A-R 4. Assertion: Winter monsoon winds generally do not cause rainfall in India.

Reason: They blow from land to sea, carry little humidity and are associated with anticyclonic circulation on land.

A-R 5. Assertion: El Niño can delay the onset of the Indian southwest monsoon.

Reason: El Niño is a cold current that strengthens the monsoon every year.

Answer key: 1-(A), 2-(A), 3-(A), 4-(A), 5-(C).

Exam Tips & Common Mistakes

How to score full marks in this chapter

Memorise the six controlling factors of India’s climate and the four IMD seasons with their months. For the monsoon mechanism, link the chain clearly: heating of the landmass → low pressure → northward shift of the ITCZ → southeast trades cross the equator → Coriolis force → southwest monsoon → jet-stream change → burst. Keep ready a few precise data points (Cherrapunji/Mawsynram over 1,080 cm, Jaisalmer under 9 cm, average annual rainfall about 125 cm, sea level rising ~48 cm by 2100) and the two monsoon branches with their rain figures. For map work, practise the Western Ghats rain belt and the isohyet of 100 cm.

Common mistakes to avoid

  • Confusing weather (momentary) with climate (long-term average).
  • Saying the Tamil Nadu coast gets its main rain from the southwest monsoon — it gets it from the north-east (retreating) monsoon in early winter.
  • Calling El Niño a cold current — it is a warm current that can weaken the monsoon.
  • Mixing up the Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal branches and the regions they water.
  • Writing that the burst of the monsoon is caused by the westerly jet stream — it is the easterly jet stream (after the westerly withdraws).
  • Treating renewable map points or data loosely — give exact figures and place names to gain marks.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Chapter 4 of Class 11 Geography (India: Physical Environment) about?

Chapter 4, Climate, explains India’s monsoon type of climate — its unity and regional variations, the factors controlling it, the nature, onset, break and withdrawal of the monsoon, the four seasons, the distribution of rainfall, the role of monsoons in economic life, and the impact of global warming.

How many seasons does the Indian Meteorological Department recognise?

The Indian Meteorological Department recognises four distinct seasons: the cold weather season, the hot weather season, the southwest monsoon season, and the retreating monsoon season. India’s tradition also divides the year into six two-monthly seasons.

Which place in India receives the highest rainfall?

Mawsynram, located on the crest of the Khasi Hills in Meghalaya, receives the highest average annual rainfall in the world, followed closely by nearby Cherrapunji; both get over 1,080 cm a year.

← Chapter 3: Drainage System Chapter 5: Natural Vegetation →
Scroll to Top