Change set
Pick exam & year, then Go.
Question map
Consider the following statements regarding South-West monsoons in India :
I. The monsoons enter into West Bengal from a South-Westerly direction.
II. The retreating South-West monsoons bring rain to the Eastern part of Peninsular India.
III. The Tamil Nadu coast remains dry during the South-West monsoons.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
Explanation
Statement I is incorrect. Although the primary monsoon flow is South-Westerly, the Bay of Bengal branch is deflected by the Arakan Mountains and the Himalayas. As a result, the monsoon enters West Bengal and the Indo-Gangetic plains from the South and South-East directions rather than the South-West.
Statement II is correct. The retreating South-West monsoon (often transitioning into the North-East monsoon) picks up moisture while crossing the Bay of Bengal and brings significant rainfall to the Eastern part of Peninsular India, especially the Coromandel coast (Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh) during October and November.
Statement III is correct. The Tamil Nadu coast remains relatively dry during the South-West monsoon (June–September) because it is situated in the rain-shadow region of the Western Ghats and the Bay of Bengal branch of the monsoon winds blows parallel to this coastline.