CLIMATE
The climate of Maharashtra is typically monsoonal in character, with 'hot'
rainy and cold weather seasons. The months of March-April and May are maximum
heat. During this season, especially in April and May thunderstorms are a
common feature all over the state. The first week of June is the time for the
onset of the south-west monsoon. Rains spread out from the south western
and western sides all over Maharashtra. July is the wettest month and August is
substantially rainy, by September the south west monsoonal current
weakens. October marks the transition from the rainy season to winter. The
general drying up of the land and greater sunshine, accompanied by high
humidity, produce familiar phenomenon of 'October heat'. From November to February
there is a cool dry spell, with clear skies gentle breezes and pleasant
weather, though the eastern margins of Maharashtra receive some rainfall.
In the general March of seasons in
Maharashtra, the dominant natural factor
that affects basically the life and economy of the peoples is the rainfall in
its regime amount and variability. In regime quite major part of the rain is
received during the four months from June to September. This concentration is
particular to the Konkan and Sahyadrian Maharashtra. In central Maharashtra,
though the total precipitations is much lower, there is a wider spread
over the months of June to October with a noticeable maximum in September. From
Maharashtra, the total rainfall
steadily increases towards the east under the influence of the Bay of Bengal monsoon and hence eastern Vidarbha receives its
major rains in the month of July August and September. The heaviest rainfall in
Maharashtra occurs in the main Sahyadris. Different regions have different
rainfalls. These regional difference in the total annual rainfall help in
distinguishing three zones of Maharashtra; the wet, the intermediate
and semiarid zones. The variability of monsoonal rains is common all over
Maharashtra. This unpredictable monsoonal rains affect the agriculture and this
will impact economic distress and human suffering. The rainfall in Maharashtra
is not fully utilised. A major portion goes waste to the sea in torrents during rainy
season. While in the summer months many of these areas suffer acute shortage
even of drinking water.
Temperature
variations in Maharashtra are not of that consequence as those in rainfall.
Tropical conditions are common all over and even the hill stations are not that
cold. But lower winter temperature on the plateau do help the growth of some
important crops like wheat, gram, linseed and grapes. High summer temperatures
induce local thunder showers. Dew, frost, hail and other local weather phenomena
are not absent from the climate.
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