Explainer: Why does India get Monsoon Rains Every Year?

In India, the southwest monsoon is the dominant type of monsoon. It is one of the most anticipated events of the entire year. Moreover, India receives 80-90% rainfall during this monsoon season.

The Indian monsoon starts approximately in the first week of June, with roiling and thunderstorms-filled clouds advancing from the Arabian sea, making landfall in Kerala. This rain soon surrounds the entire state gradually with the southwest monsoon. 

From June to September every year, the southwest or the summer monsoon gets dominant and covers the whole of India; the country bathes in the rain during the monsoon before approaching the cooler months. In fact, at the onset of winter, the northeast monsoon sets in and helps bring rain by covering the Indian eastern coast and especially Tamil Nadu.

With such heavy rainfall and monsoon, there is the need to protect yourself from the rains. With ZEEL Raincoat, you have nothing to worry about, as they provide the most premium quality rainwear online in India.

In this article, we will share why India gets monsoon rains yearly.

Importance of Indian Monsoon

The India Monsoon is of great importance. With India's population being dependent on agriculture, the monsoon in India becomes extremely vital economically speaking. Also, the net cultivable land lacks irrigation making it all the more difficult to sustain without a good monsoon.

Several grains and pulses, including wheat, sugarcane, and rice, are dependent on India's rainfall throughout the year.

Additionally, the Indian monsoon is known to replenish close to 100 large reservoirs, which are critical when it comes to power generation and drinking across India.

Any deficit in the annual rainfall in a year brings a sad state of affairs, with people dying of hunger or inflation reaching its peak. 

What Happens During Monsoon Rains Every Year?

The southwest monsoon reaches the southern coast of India in the state of Kerala; it goes on to Mumbai around 10 days later. After this, it reaches New Delhi by the end of June. Moreover, the monsoon covers entire India by mid-July.

Every year, this date of monsoon arrival is the talk of the town and subject to speculation. It is the IMD, Indian Meteorological Department, that gives their estimated dates every year for the arrival of all seasons, including monsoon in India.

Although these various predictions are not always correct, in fact, it's rare to get them right.

Do you want to experience the very first rainfall in India? Visit the southernmost tip in Tamil Nadu, Kanyakumari, to witness this miracle and watch the thunderstorms roll in.

Also, to make it even more memorable, you can enjoy the rain with a cup of tea and pakoras.

What Causes the Monsoon In India? 

The monsoon rains every year in India are caused by varied factors caused by the differing temperature movement over the land and the sea. These factors are

• Geographically, the southwest monsoon is the summer season attracted by a low-pressure area. A low-pressure area is caused by extreme heat in the Thar Desert in Rajasthan and the adjoining areas. 

• Moreover, what happens during the monsoon season is that the wind direction reverses. The winds from the Indian Ocean come laden with moisture and fill up the void as they are unable to pass through the Himalayan region and hence are forced to rise. With a gain in altitude of the clouds, there is a drop in the temperature, which leads to the onset of rain.

• The southwest monsoon in India splits into two parts; one part moves over the Bay of Bengal, hitting the eastern Himalayas and Assam. The other part moves northwards to the Arabian Sea and up to the Western Ghats coast. 

• The withdrawal of the southwest monsoon begins in Rajasthan with the reversing of air circulation. This happens at the beginning of September, but the delay is typical, perpetuating the duration of the monsoon in India.

• The physics behind the Indian monsoon says that the Indian summer monsoon is affected by the sun's energy and the amount of water vapor available, and how well it can be lifted upwards.

The Earth is tilted on its axis, causing different parts of the Earth to receive rays from the sun. When the northern hemisphere experiences summers, the Tropic of Cancer receives direct sunlight, and the continental landmass heats up significantly with respect to the oceans. This creates a low-pressure area above Central Asia and India.

 This causes the ITCZ-Intertropical Convergence Zone, a low-pressure area girdling the Earth, to shift to the north of the Equator towards the Tropic of Cancer. The ITCZ is formed at the northeast and southeast trade winds meeting. This shift causes the ITCZ to shift northwards and strengthen low pressure. 

Note: Due to the Coriolis force, the winds deflect and move in the opposite direction.

 These deflected trade winds blow towards India, picking up moisture in large amounts from the Arabian Sea and hitting the Indian peninsula, causing the southwest monsoon. 

• As summers abate, the ITCZ drifts down to the southern part of the Equator and reverses the movement of trade winds. The Indian landmass cools down rapidly and forms an area of high pressure, with the oceans cooling at a slower rate and forming low pressure. This causes the retreating, aka the northeast monsoon.

Other Factors Affecting the Indian Monsoon

The Indian Monsoon can be a bit complex to understand as it is affected by various other factors such as La Nina and El Nino, Equatorial Indian Ocean Oscillations, and the Indian Ocean Dipole.

• The El Lino and La Nina are large-scale warming or cooling events along the Pacific Ocean(central and east-central). Their effects have been responsible for various droughts in India. 

• The Indian Ocean Dipole is another cooling and warming of the Indian Ocean in the east and west, similar to the El Lino and La Nina and the Equatorial Indian Ocean Oscillations.

• Moreover, during the last many years, a great pace has been made in understanding the Indian monsoon. The monsoon just doesn't appear anywhere in a day or all at once; instead, it takes time to build up over a few days.

• Heavy downpours, scary thunderstorms, and massive lightning amounts follow the actual arrival of the monsoon. The rain makes people overly enthusiastic, and it's common for everyone to dance, sing and play games during the monsoon rains. This is irrespective of age; dancing in the rain is not just meant for kids, but even adults. 

Nevertheless, the rains can be quite unpredictable. It can start at a time, staying for minutes, hours or even days. Many cities are known to flood just after a heavy downpour; because of this, people complain about significant volumes of water that do not even get cleaned up.

Conclusion

Monsoon can be an incredible time to travel in India as the country's scenic beauty is at its best. However, it is essential to remember that you can easily catch a cold or become unwell during this season.

Therefore, you must protect yourself with highly functional and lightweight rain jackets. With ZEEL Rainwear, you get the best raincoats online for men, women, and kids. It protects you from getting drenched, and the high-quality waterproof material, such as polyester with the DWR coating (durable water repellent) feature, provides utmost protection and is breathable to ensure that you don't sweat or feel suffocated.

So, order amazing ZEEL Rainwear for sustainable and durable protection from the rain.