Question

Give reasons for the following.

Chennai receives more rainfall in winter, than in Summer.

Answer 1

1. Retreating (North‑East) monsoon winds pick up moisture over the Bay of Bengal and give rain to the Coromandel coast (including Chennai) during October–December.
2. Tropical cyclones and low‑pressure disturbances that form over the Bay of Bengal and nearby seas in the post‑monsoon/winter months often bring heavy rainfall to Tamil Nadu’s coast.
3. During the summer (south‑west monsoon) Chennai receives little rain because the Arabian Sea branch gives most rainfall to the west coast, and the Bay of Bengal branch tends to move parallel to the east coast/Eastern Ghats (with little orographic uplift), so much less moisture is deposited over Chennai.