The duration of monsoon in India extends for an average period of
- (a)80 – 140 days
- (b)100 – 120 days
- (c)90 – 130 days
- (d)100 – 140 days
Answer
Why
Correct — B, 100 - 120 days. The south-west (summer) monsoon, which brings most of India's annual rainfall, normally sets in over Kerala around 1 June and withdraws from the extreme north-west by late September or early October — an active rain-giving spell of roughly 100 to 120 days.
Why the others are wrong
- (a)80 – 140 days — Too wide a band; the conventional figure for the monsoon's duration is about 100-120 days.
- (c)90 – 130 days — Not the standard range; the monsoon runs for about 100-120 days.
- (d)100 – 140 days — Stretches the withdrawal too far; the accepted duration is roughly 100-120 days.
Concept
India's climate is dominated by the seasonal reversal of winds — the monsoon. The south-west monsoon advances from June, covers the whole country by mid-July and retreats through September; its effective rain-giving period lasts about 100-120 days and supplies around three-quarters of India's yearly rainfall.
Anchor the dates: onset around 1 June (Kerala), full coverage by mid-July, and withdrawal beginning in September. June to September is roughly four months — close to 100-120 days. The distractors widen the range at one end.
Key facts
- The south-west monsoon lasts for an average of about 100-120 days (June to September).
- It normally reaches Kerala around 1 June and covers all of India by mid-July.
- It provides roughly 75 per cent of India's annual rainfall.
- Withdrawal (the retreating monsoon) begins over north-west India in September.
Study next
Common traps
- Stretching the range beyond 120 days.
- Confusing the June-September south-west monsoon with the October-December north-east monsoon.
Asked as the average duration of the Indian monsoon, or by matching onset and withdrawal months to regions.
Related PYQs
Which of the following statements regarding the World Climate Types and their relation with Inter Tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) is/are correct? 1. Tropical Wet Climate is one of the world's rainiest due to the dominance of the ITCZ over it. 2. Tropical Savanna Climate experiences a distinctive alternation of wet and dry seasons, caused chiefly by the seasonal shift in latitude of the subtropical highs and ITCZ. 3. The Tropical Monsoonal Climate experiences heavy rainfall as a consequence of the nearness of the ITCZ for much of the year. Select the answer using the code given below:
- (a) 1 only
- (b) 1 and 2 only
- (c) 2 and 3 only
- (d) 1, 2 and 3
Answer(d) 1, 2 and 3
Related — the ITCZ and tropical climate types that drive the monsoon. That NDA item links world climate types to the ITCZ, whose seasonal shift powers the monsoon; this one asks how long the Indian monsoon lasts.
Practice
- practice — not a real PYQ
The south-west monsoon normally sets in over Kerala around
- (a)1 May
- (b)1 June
- (c)1 July
- (d)1 August
Answer(b) 1 June — the conventional monsoon onset date. - practice — not a real PYQ
The retreating (north-east) monsoon brings winter rainfall mainly to
- (a)Punjab and Haryana
- (b)the Tamil Nadu coast
- (c)Rajasthan
- (d)Assam
Answer(b) the Tamil Nadu coast — during October to December.