India has a wide range of weather conditions across its vast geographic scale and varied topography. Based on the Köppen system, India hosts six major climatic subtypes, ranging from arid deserts in the west, alpine tundra and glaciers in the north, and humid tropical regions supporting rainforests in the southwest and the island territories.
The country’s meteorological department follows the international standard of four seasons with some local adjustments: winter (December to February), summer (March to May), monsoon or rainy season (June to September), and a post-monsoon period (October and November).
India’s geography and geology are climatically pivotal: the Thar Desert in the northwest and the Himalayas in the north work in tandem to create a culturally and economically important monsoonal regime.
The climate of India is rainfall dominant as there are almost 4-5 months of rainy season. It is described as Monsoon Type. India is blessed with its location in the tropical region, therefore most of the rain is brought by the monsoon winds.
Most of the parts of north and northeast India experience a subtropical climate. These regions experience extreme temperature conditions that are extremely hot in summers and extremely cold in winter. The winter season advances some amount of precipitation in these areas.
The annual mean land surface air temperature averaged over India during 2021 was 0.440C above the long period average (LPA) based on 1981-2010 period. The year 2021 was the fifth warmest year since nationwide records commenced in 1901.
The southwest monsoon season rainfall over the country as a whole was 99% of its LPA. During 2021, five tropical cyclones formed over the north Indian Ocean with three forming over the Bay of Bengal and 2 forming over the Arabian Sea. In addition to these, extreme weather events like extremely heavy rainfall leading to floods, landslide, lightning, thunderstorm, droughts etc were also experienced in various parts of the country.
In conclusion, India has a diverse climate that ranges from arid deserts in the west to humid tropical regions in the southwest. The country experiences four seasons: winter, summer, monsoon, and post-monsoon. The monsoonal regime is an important cultural and economic feature of India's climate. The country experiences a range of weather events, including extreme temperatures, heavy rainfall, and tropical cyclones. Overall, India's climate is complex and varied, reflecting the country's vast geographic scale and topography.