(i) The climate of India is the 'monsoon' type.
(ii) Monsoon is the seasonal reversal in the wind sysytem during the year.
(iii) This type of climate is found manily in south and south-east Asia.
(iv) Though there is an overall unity in the general pattern, there are perceptible regional variations in climatic conditions within the country.

The elements of weather and climate are:
(i) Temperature
(ii) Pressure
(iii) Wind
(iv) Humidity and
(v) Precipitation

Distinguish between weather and climate:

Regional variations in the Climatic Conditions of India.
(i) Temperatures
(a) During summer Rajasthan desert experiences temperatures as high as 50°C on a day while Pahalgaon in J and It·as low as 20°C.
(b) On a winter night Drass (J and K) experiences temperature as low as - 45°C while temperature on the same night is 20°C at Thiruvananthapuram.
(c) Temperatures in Kerala and in Andaman and Nicobar Islands remain uniform throughout the year.
(ii) Precipitation
(a) In the Himalayas precipitation generally occurs in the form of snow while in the rest of the country, precipitation occurs in the form of rainfall (water droplets).
(b) Precipitation is very heavy in Meghalaya. It is more than 400 cms of rainfall annually. On the other hand, it is less than 10 cm. in the Rajasthan desert and Ladakh region.
(c) Tamil Nadu coast receives rainfall during the seasons of retreating and winter (October to December) while rest of the country receives rainfall during the season of south-west monsoon (June to September).

(i) The unifying influence of the monsoon is quite perceptible.
(ii) The Indian landscape, animals, plants, agriculture, peiople including their festivities, revolve around this phenomenon.
(iii) All indians from north to south and from east to west , eagerly await the arrivals of the monsoon.
(iv) These monsoon winds bind the whole country by providing wwater to set the agricultural activities in motion.

The word monsoon is derived from Arabic word 'Mausim' which means season. IT implies the seasonal reverasal in the wind pattern over the year. Monsoon is the seasonal winds reverse their direction with change in seasons:
(a) From sea to land during summer.
(b) From land to sea during winter.
(i) 'Break' in monsoon means the sudden start of the monsson or onset of the monsoon.
(ii) The monsoon has tendency to have burst or 'breaks' in rainfall. In other words it has wet and dry spells.
(iii) Monsoon rains take place only for a few days at a time.
(iv) They are interspersed with rainless intervals.

Thar Desert experiences the highest diurnal range of temperature due to the following:
(a) It is very hot during the day time because sandy land absorbs heat very quickly in sunshine
(b) Sandy soil radiates the heat very quickly during night when there is no sushine.
Hence, during day there is high temperature, while during night the temperature is very low.

Factors affecting climate of India:
(a) Latitude
(b) Altitude
(c) Pressure and wind systems
(d) Distance from sea
(e) Influence of oceans
(f) Physiography

Charactersitics of Monsoon Rainfall in India.
(i) Monsoon rains in India manily occur during four mnths-June, July, August and September.
(ii) It goes on decreasing from east to west and from west to east, south-west to north-east.
(iii) Most of monsoon rains occur during the season of advancing monsson.
Effects of Monsson Rainfall
(i) South-west monsson does not cause rains regularly.
(ii) Sometimes large duration of rainy season goes without rains.
(iii) Intense cyclones give strength to monsoon winds and help in causing heavy rainfall, their less intensity causes dry speels.
(iv) Floods and dry spells are twin phenomena in the country.
(v) Success or failure of agricultural crops depends on the amount of rainfall.

Reversal of wind direction due to higher pressure generating over the Indian Ocean than over the mainland.

Altitude plays an important role in influencing the climate of a place. As one goes up to higher altitudes away from the surface of the erth, the atmosphere becomes lessdense and temperature decreases. Therefore hills are cooler during summer.

More than 400 cm

Temperature according to Seasons
(i) In summer, temperature occasionally rises to 50^oC or more in some parts of the Rajasthan desert. While, it is around 20^oC in Pahalgam in Jammu and Kashmir
(ii) On a winter night, temperature at Drass in Jammu and Kashmir is as low as -45^oC. While, Thiruvananthapuram experiences temperature of 22^oC on this night.
(iii) On January 8, 2006 Delhi experienced 0.2^oC temnperature, the lowest in the last 70 years
Temperature according to Day and Night
(iv) Certain places have wide difference between day and night temperatures.
(v) In Thar desert day temperatures rises to 50^oC and comes down to near freezing point the same night about 15^oC
(vi) On the other hand, there is hardly any difference in day and night temperatures in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Keral.

Rajasthan desert have hot climate temperature and low rainfall.

Annual range of temperature = Highest temperature -  MInimum temperature
= 26.7-10.9= 15.8^oC