Meera arrived in a land of three clear seasons: a blazing summer, a monsoon that brings floods, and a cool, foggy winter. This was the climate, similar to parts of China and the southern United States. Summers were harsh, but winters were pleasant—perfect for growing wheat and mustard. In January, thick fog sometimes stopped trains. In June, dust storms darkened the sky before the rains broke.
Meera imagined a place where winter temperatures dropped to minus thirty degrees. Snow covered the mountains for most of the year. Here, the climate was . Only the hardiest shrubs, junipers, and wildflowers survived. The air was thin and dry. People wore thick gonchas (woolen robes) and relied on the short, cool summer to grow barley. types of climate in india
“This is the breadbasket of India,” Grandfather said. “The soil is rich, the rivers are many, and the rhythm of seasons feeds a billion people.” “And don’t forget the little pockets,” he added. “In parts of Punjab and Himachal, we have a Mediterranean-like climate—mild, wet winters and dry summers. In the rain-shadow areas of the Western Ghats, we have Semi-Arid climate, where scrub forests thrive on just a few inches of rain.” Meera arrived in a land of three clear
The old banyan tree stood at the center of the village, its roots spreading like ancient wisdom. It had seen centuries of summers, winters, and the great arrival of the rains. But this year, a young girl named Meera asked her grandfather, “Why is the weather so different when we travel? In the north, we shiver. In the west, we burn. In the east, the land is always wet.” In January, thick fog sometimes stopped trains
Meera opened her eyes. The banyan tree stood still, its leaves rustling in the evening breeze. She finally understood: India was not one country with one weather. It was a continent of climates living together—the frozen peak, the steamy jungle, the burning desert, the fertile plain, and the dry savanna.
Meera felt the humidity drop. Now she stood in a land of dry, golden grasses and scattered thorny trees. This was the climate. The summers were scorching—over 40 degrees Celsius. Then came the monsoon, a short, violent season of thunderstorms that turned the dry earth into muddy rivers. After the rains, a brief but lush green season followed, only to fade back into dryness.
Her grandfather smiled. “Come,” he said. “Let me tell you the story of India’s climates.” “Our journey begins in the highest realm,” he said. “In the cold desert of Ladakh and the peaks of the Himalayas.”