India has a
diverse physical environment, including some of the wettest
places on Earth,
both hot and cold deserts, some of the most extreme mountain climates (of the
Himalayas), as well as equatorial ocean climates In any given month
therefore the climate differs dramatically from region to region.
Winter
in India
January is
the coldest month over most of India, although December is the coolest month in
the central and eastern peninsular regions. The minimum temperatures in Northern
India rarely exceed 50 degrees F, while in the south it rarely goes below 68
degrees F. States in the upper north and most of the Himalayan mountain regions
are usually snowed under; where winter sports and mountain climbing are popular.
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Summer
in India
May
is the hottest month over the greatest part of India, with mean maximum
temperatures reaching 104 degrees F. in northern India, and 95-104 degrees F in
the peninsular regions. Beaches in
Goa and the Malabar coast are very popular during this time.
The hilly regions of the Himalayas and Western Ghats ( mountains) are cooler,
and hill stations are a favorites retreat from the sweltering heat and humidity
of the plains and the west coast. Back
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Monsoons
in India
The
southwest monsoon season is from May to October. The Western Ghats
(mountains) act as a wind shadow and the west coast receives rainfall mainly
from June to September. Delhi gets rainfall chiefly from July to
September. In northwest, Rajasthan rainfall rarely exceeds 100mm.
Assam and the Shillong
Plateau in the East have some of the highest rainfall in the world; annual
rainfall of over 20,000 mm have been recorded in Cherrapunjee,
on the Shillong Plateau, marking it as the wettest
place on Earth.
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