Question map
Which one of the following States receives rainfall from both the Arabian Sea branch and the Bay of Bengal branch of Monsoon ?
Explanation
The South-West Monsoon bifurcates into two branches: the Arabian Sea branch and the Bay of Bengal branch. The Arabian Sea branch advances northwards, striking the Saurashtra Peninsula and Kachchh before passing over West Rajasthan and reaching the Punjab plains [4]. Simultaneously, the Bay of Bengal branch is deflected westward by the Himalayas and moves along the Ganga plains, eventually reaching the Punjab plains [3]. These two branches merge in the northwestern part of the Indo-Gangetic Plain, specifically over Punjab and Haryana [2]. While Maharashtra and Meghalaya primarily receive rainfall from the Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal branches respectively, and Tamil Nadu receives significant rainfall from the North-East (retreating) monsoon, Punjab is the unique region where both branches of the South-West monsoon converge to provide rainfall [2].
Sources
- [1] INDIA PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT, Geography Class XI (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 4: Climate > Monsoon Winds of the Arabian Sea > p. 35
- [4] Geography of India ,Majid Husain, (McGrawHill 9th ed.) > Chapter 4: Climate of India > Progress of the Monsoons > p. 16
- [2] INDIA PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT, Geography Class XI (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 4: Climate > Monsoon Winds of the Bay of Bengal > p. 37
- [3] Geography of India ,Majid Husain, (McGrawHill 9th ed.) > Chapter 4: Climate of India > Progress of the Monsoons > p. 17