Why does India have a Monsoon Type of Climate?

By Balaji

Updated on: March 15th, 2023

India has a monsoon type of climate because of the differential heating of water bodies and land. Air moves from a high-pressure area over the southern Indian ocean across the equator and then turns right to the low-pressure area over the Indian subcontinent. Rainfall occurs in India due to these winds’ ability to absorb moisture from the warm oceans when they pass over them. Most of India’s rainfall results from the monsoon, a term first used during British rule to describe the big seasonal winds from the Bay of Bengal to the Arabian Sea.

Table of content

1. Monsoon Type of Climate in India
2. Why does India have a Monsoon Type of Climate?

Monsoon Type of Climate in India

The reason India has a monsoon-type of climate is that it is situated between the Tropic of Cancer and the Equator, and is bordered by the Indian Ocean on the south and the Himalayan mountain range on the north. This unique geographical positioning is the key to the climate in India.

During the summer monsoon, the monsoon winds blow from sea to land, whereas during the winter monsoon season, the winds blow from the land to the sea. Thus, the latter does not cause heavy rainfall.

The Indian climate is described as a monsoon climate also because it is influenced heavily by the weather conditions that change from season to season.
Moreover, due to the Himalayas, India is affected by moisture-laden winds every year for a few months.
In fact, without the monsoon, India could have been a desert.
In India, the monsoon season typically lasts from July to September, responsible for 80 to 90% of all rainfall.

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