Class 9 Geography • Climate
Climate Study Path
Revise the chapter first, then practise with focused questions and connected Class 9 Geography resources.
Climate Class 9: Notes, MCQs & Questions and Answers
A polished study resource for understanding India’s climate, monsoon system, seasons, rainfall patterns, climatic controls and important terminology.
Chapter 4 • Climate41 MCQs12 Short Q&ANCERT-focused revision
2026–27 curriculum note: CBSE’s new Grade IX curriculum framework places Atmosphere and Climate in the current learning sequence and includes atmosphere, elements of weather and climate, Indian monsoons, climate change, floods and carbon footprint. This page preserves the site’s strong India-climate and monsoon foundation from the earlier Climate resource; use it alongside the latest prescribed Grade IX material for the full current scope. See the current NCERT Grade IX syllabus framework.
Weather vs ClimateWeather describes short-term atmospheric conditions; climate describes long-term patterns and variations.
Indian MonsoonSeasonal reversal of winds is central to India’s rainfall pattern and agricultural cycle.
Climate ControlsLatitude, altitude, pressure and winds, distance from the sea, ocean currents and relief shape regional climate.
Quick Revision Notes
Core idea: India has a monsoon-type climate with marked seasonal changes. The Himalayas, surrounding seas, relief, latitude and atmospheric circulation all influence the distribution and timing of temperature and rainfall.
Major climatic controls
- Latitude: affects the angle of the Sun’s rays and temperature.
- Altitude: temperature generally decreases with height.
- Pressure and wind system: seasonal pressure changes drive major wind patterns.
- Distance from the sea: coastal areas tend to have a more moderate climate.
- Relief: mountains can block, deflect or force moist winds to rise.
- Ocean influence: nearby seas moderate temperature and supply moisture.
India’s main seasons
- Cold weather season: broadly December to February.
- Hot weather season: broadly March to May.
- Southwest monsoon season: broadly June to September.
- Retreating/post-monsoon season: broadly October to November.
Important terms
- Loo: hot, dry summer winds over northern and north-western India.
- Kal Baisakhi: violent pre-monsoon thunderstorms, especially in eastern India.
- Mango showers: pre-monsoon showers in parts of Kerala and Karnataka.
- Rain shadow: relatively dry leeward side of a mountain barrier.
- Western disturbances: weather systems associated with winter rainfall in north-western India.
Climate Class 9 MCQs with Answers
1. Which of the following is not an element of weather and climate?
A. Atmospheric pressure
B. Temperature
C. Humidity
D. Altitude
Answer: D. Altitude
2. Which term refers to the sum total of weather conditions and variations over a large area for a long period of time?
A. Atmosphere
B. Annual range of temperature
C. Climate
D. Monsoons
Answer: C. Climate
3. Which statement defines weather?
A. Envelope of air surrounding Earth
B. State of the atmosphere over an area at any point of time
C. Atmospheric conditions over a large area for a long period of time
D. Generalised monthly atmospheric conditions
Answer: B. State of the atmosphere over an area at any point of time
4. Which term is used for the state of the atmosphere over an area at any point of time?
A. Weather
B. Winds
C. Climate
D. Pressure
Answer: A. Weather
5. In which of the following places of India does precipitation occur in the form of snowfall?
A. Shillong
B. Drass
C. Chandigarh
D. Haridwar
Answer: B. Drass
6. Which place experiences very high summer temperatures?
A. Pahalgam
B. Leh
C. Thiruvananthapuram
D. Jaisalmer
Answer: D. Jaisalmer
7. Which of the following is a very rainy station?
A. Shillong
B. Mumbai
C. Chennai
D. Kolkata
Answer: A. Shillong
8. Which one of the following is a very dry station?
A. Mumbai
B. Leh
C. Bengaluru
D. Delhi
Answer: B. Leh
9. Most parts of India receive rainfall during which months?
A. December to February
B. March to May
C. June to September
D. October to November
Answer: C. June to September
10. In which months does the Tamil Nadu coast receive most of its rainfall?
A. December to February
B. March to May
C. June to September
D. October to November
Answer: D. October to November
11. Which place experiences a very high diurnal range of temperature?
A. Kolkata
B. Jodhpur
C. Chennai
D. Delhi
Answer: B. Jodhpur
12. Which place has very little difference between day and night temperatures?
A. Guwahati
B. Nagpur
C. Thiruvananthapuram
D. Delhi
Answer: C. Thiruvananthapuram
13. In which region are houses traditionally built on stilts?
A. Assam
B. Rajasthan
C. Goa
D. Kerala
Answer: A. Assam
14. Which one is not a major control of the climate of a place?
A. Latitude
B. Temperature
C. Pressure and wind system
D. Distance from the sea
Answer: B. Temperature
15. Latitude and altitude mainly determine which climatic element?
A. Pressure and wind system
B. Temperature
C. Rainfall pattern
D. All the above
Answer: D. All the above
16. Which place has a cooler climate even during summer?
A. Allahabad
B. Mumbai
C. Mussoorie
D. Amritsar
Answer: C. Mussoorie
17. Which place experiences a more extreme type of climate?
A. Shillong
B. Bengaluru
C. Chennai
D. Delhi
Answer: D. Delhi
18. Why does Pune receive much less rainfall than Mumbai?
A. It lies on the leeward side of the Western Ghats
B. It lies on the windward side of the Western Ghats
C. Continentality alone
D. Distance from the sea alone
Answer: A. It lies on the leeward side of the Western Ghats
19. Which latitude passes through the middle of India and gives the country both tropical and subtropical characteristics?
A. Tropic of Capricorn
B. Tropic of Cancer
C. Equator
D. 82°30'N
Answer: B. Tropic of Cancer
20. India has comparatively milder winters than Central Asia mainly because of which factor?
A. The Tropic of Cancer
B. The surrounding seas
C. The Himalayas
D. Ocean currents
Answer: C. The Himalayas
21. Which atmospheric conditions govern climate and associated weather conditions in India?
A. Pressure and surface winds
B. Upper-air circulation
C. Western cyclonic disturbances and tropical cyclones
D. All the above
Answer: D. All the above
22. Which winds bring widespread rainfall over mainland India?
A. Northeasterly winds
B. Westerlies
C. Southwest monsoon winds
D. Sea breeze
Answer: C. Southwest monsoon winds
23. Which is a component of upper-air circulation?
A. Northeasterlies
B. Jet stream
C. Southwest monsoon
D. Kal Baisakhi
Answer: B. Jet stream
24. From which pressure belt do the north-easterly trade winds originate?
A. Equatorial low-pressure belt
B. Subtropical high-pressure belt of the Northern Hemisphere
C. Subtropical high-pressure belt of the Southern Hemisphere
D. Temperate low-pressure belt of the Northern Hemisphere
Answer: B. Subtropical high-pressure belt of the Northern Hemisphere
25. Why are the southwest monsoon winds rain-bearing?
A. They blow from low pressure over northeast India towards the seas
B. They are seasonal winds only
C. They blow over warm Indian Ocean waters and gather moisture
D. They strike the Himalayas only
Answer: C. They blow over warm Indian Ocean waters and gather moisture
26. Which feature prevents the southwest monsoon winds from escaping northwards from India?
A. The surrounding seas
B. The Himalayas
C. Low pressure over Central Asia
D. The Indian deserts
Answer: B. The Himalayas
27. The word 'monsoon' is derived from a word associated with which idea?
A. Seasons
B. Wind pattern
C. Change
D. Mausumbi
Answer: A. Seasons
28. At which station on the Indian mainland do the southwest monsoons generally arrive first?
A. Thiruvananthapuram
B. Kolkata
C. Chennai
D. Delhi
Answer: A. Thiruvananthapuram
29. By which period do the southern parts of the islands receive their first monsoon showers?
A. First week of April
B. First week of May
C. First week of June
D. Mid-October
Answer: A. First week of April
30. Which station experiences snowfall in winter?
A. Aurangabad
B. Guwahati
C. Ooty
D. Srinagar
Answer: D. Srinagar
31. What causes rainfall in West Bengal during the hot-weather season?
A. Mango showers
B. Kal Baisakhi
C. Southwest monsoon
D. Retreating monsoon
Answer: B. Kal Baisakhi
32. During which months does the transition from the hot rainy season towards the dry winter season occur?
A. December to February
B. February to March
C. June to July
D. October to November
Answer: D. October to November
33. The term 'monsoon' is generally traced to which language?
A. German
B. Hindi
C. Latin
D. Arabic
Answer: D. Arabic
34. Kal Baisakhi is especially associated with which region?
A. Punjab
B. Kashmir
C. Karnataka
D. Bengal
Answer: D. Bengal
35. The peninsular part of India experiences peak summer earlier than northern India mainly because:
A. There is less rainfall in the peninsula
B. Cold waves from Central Asia sweep the northern plains
C. The sun's apparent northward movement shifts the heat belt northward
D. Clouds do not form there
Answer: C. The sun's apparent northward movement shifts the heat belt northward
36. Why are the eastern coasts of India frequently affected by tropical cyclones?
A. The low-lying eastern coast is exposed to cyclonic depressions over the Bay of Bengal
B. The areas are close to a volcano
C. Heavy rainfall itself creates cyclones
D. The coastline is entirely mountainous
Answer: A. The low-lying eastern coast is exposed to cyclonic depressions over the Bay of Bengal
37. Mango showers are especially associated with which pair of states?
A. Bihar and West Bengal
B. Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh
C. Karnataka and Kerala
D. Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh
Answer: C. Karnataka and Kerala
38. Which is among the coldest inhabited places in India?
A. Drass
B. Srinagar
C. Shillong
D. Bikaner
Answer: A. Drass
39. Which area is not generally a low-precipitation region?
A. Western Rajasthan and Gujarat
B. Leh
C. Deccan Plateau
D. Assam
Answer: D. Assam
40. Western cyclonic disturbances affecting north India in winter originate mainly from the Mediterranean region. Which sea is traditionally associated with their source area?
A. Mediterranean Sea
B. Indian Ocean
C. Caspian Sea
D. Arabian Sea
Answer: A. Mediterranean Sea
41. Which state is commonly affected by loo during the hot-weather season?
A. Tamil Nadu
B. Uttar Pradesh
C. Kerala
D. None of these
Answer: B. Uttar Pradesh
Quick Answer Key
1. D
2. C
3. B
4. A
5. B
6. D
7. A
8. B
9. C
10. D
11. B
12. C
13. A
14. B
15. D
16. C
17. D
18. A
19. B
20. C
21. D
22. C
23. B
24. B
25. C
26. B
27. A
28. A
29. A
30. D
31. B
32. D
33. D
34. D
35. C
36. A
37. C
38. A
39. D
40. A
41. B
Questions and Answers: Climate
Q1. Why is the bulk of rainfall in India concentrated over a few months?
Most of India's annual rainfall is concentrated in the southwest monsoon season, mainly June to September. Moisture-laden winds from the Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal move towards the low-pressure area over the Indian landmass and produce widespread rainfall. Relief features such as the Western Ghats and the Himalayas further influence where the rain falls.
Q2. Why does the Tamil Nadu coast receive winter rainfall?
During October and November, the northeast or retreating monsoon winds cross the Bay of Bengal and pick up moisture. These winds bring significant rainfall to the Tamil Nadu coast, while cyclonic depressions over the Bay of Bengal can intensify the rainfall.
Q3. Why is the delta region of the eastern coast frequently struck by cyclones?
During the retreating monsoon season, low-pressure systems and cyclonic depressions frequently develop over the Bay of Bengal. Their tracks can bring heavy rain and strong winds to the low-lying deltas of the eastern coast, making the region vulnerable to cyclones and flooding.
Q4. Why are parts of Rajasthan, Gujarat and the leeward side of the Western Ghats drought-prone?
Western Rajasthan and parts of Gujarat receive little rainfall because the Aravallis do not provide a favourable barrier to the southwest monsoon winds. The leeward side of the Western Ghats lies in a rain-shadow region, where descending air is drier and rainfall is much lower.
Q5. What is an equable climate? Give an example.
An equable or moderate climate has relatively small seasonal and daily temperature contrasts. Coastal areas are generally influenced by the moderating effect of the sea and therefore tend to have an equable climate. Mumbai is a suitable example.
Q6. What is an extreme or continental climate? Give an example.
An extreme or continental climate has larger temperature contrasts, with hotter summers and colder winters than coastal areas. Interior and arid parts of north-western India, such as Rajasthan, show stronger continental influence.
Q7. What is a rain-shadow area?
A rain-shadow area is the relatively dry region on the leeward side of a mountain range. Moist air rises and loses much of its moisture on the windward side; the air descending on the leeward side is comparatively dry, producing much less rainfall.
Q8. What are the basic elements of weather and climate?
The basic elements include temperature, atmospheric pressure, wind, humidity, precipitation and cloud cover or sunshine. Weather describes short-term atmospheric conditions, while climate refers to long-term patterns and variations.
Q9. Which place in India records exceptionally high rainfall?
Mawsynram in Meghalaya is famous for exceptionally high annual rainfall and is widely cited in school geography as one of the wettest places on Earth.
Q10. Which part of India experiences a very high daily range of temperature?
The Thar Desert and adjoining parts of Rajasthan experience a high diurnal range because dry air, clear skies and low humidity allow strong heating during the day and rapid cooling at night.
Q11. What are jet streams?
Jet streams are narrow bands of very fast winds in the upper troposphere. Their seasonal movement and position influence the atmospheric circulation associated with the Indian monsoon.
Q12. Write short notes on loo, Kal Baisakhi, mango showers and winter rainfall.
Loo: hot, dry and strong summer winds over north and north-western India. Kal Baisakhi: local pre-monsoon thunderstorms, especially important in eastern India. Mango showers: pre-monsoon showers in parts of Kerala and Karnataka that help early ripening of mangoes. Winter rainfall: light rain over north-western India associated with western disturbances, useful for rabi crops.
Study → Practise → Revise
Use the notes first, test yourself with the 41 MCQs, then return to the short-answer section for active recall.