GeographyISC Class 12 · Climate

Four Seasons, Rainfall Distribution, Droughts and Floods (ISC Class 12 Geography)

Updated 17 October 2026 · Fact-checked

India has four seasons: cool and dry (December-February), hot and dry (March-May), hot and wet (June-September) and cool and wet, the retreating monsoon (October-November). Rainfall ranges from over 200 cm on the Western Ghats coast and in the north-east to below 50 cm in western Rajasthan, Kachchh and Ladakh. High variability brings droughts in the interior and floods in the Brahmaputra and Ganga plains.

Follow the arrows clockwise from December: the year runs cool and dry, hot and dry, hot and wet (monsoon), then cool and wet with cyclones.

Illustration drawn for QuestionBuddy.

Understand Four Seasons, Rainfall Distribution, Droughts and Floods in India

1. Cool and dry season (December-February). Temperature falls from south to north; the south stays above 20 °C while the north is cold, with frost in places. Pressure is high over the north-west and winds blow from land to sea (the north-east monsoon). The season is mostly dry, but western disturbances bring rain and snow to the north-west, and the north-east monsoon brings rain to the Tamil Nadu coast.

2. Hot and dry season (March-May). Temperature rises from south to north; the north-west goes past 40 to 45 °C while the sea moderates the south. A low pressure develops over the north-west. Local winds and storms include the hot dry loo in the north, dust storms, Kalbaisakhi (Nor'westers) in West Bengal and Assam, mango showers in Kerala and Karnataka, and cherry blossom showers in Karnataka.

3. Hot and wet season (June-September). Temperature is high but lowered by cloud and rain. A deep low (the monsoon trough) lies over the north-west. About three-quarters of India's annual rain falls in this season; it is heavy on the Western Ghats and in the north-east and decreases towards the north-west, and breaks in the monsoon are common.

4. Cool and wet season (October-November). Temperature falls gradually, but high temperature with humidity gives the 'October heat'. The low shifts to the Bay of Bengal. The monsoon withdraws; tropical cyclones from the Bay of Bengal and the north-east monsoon bring heavy rain to the Coromandel coast of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Odisha.

5. Rainfall distribution.

Very heavy, over about 200 cm: the Western Ghats coast, Meghalaya and the north-east (Mawsynram and Cherrapunji are among the wettest places in the world) and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
Moderate, 100 to 200 cm: eastern India, the Ganga plain east of Delhi and parts of the eastern Peninsula.
Low, 50 to 100 cm: the interior Deccan in the rain shadow, western Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana and eastern Rajasthan.
Very low, below 50 cm: western Rajasthan, Kachchh and Ladakh.

6. Variability of rainfall. It is the year-to-year change in rainfall. It is high where rainfall is low (above 50 per cent in western Rajasthan) and low where rainfall is high (the Western Ghats coast and the north-east). High variability makes farming risky.

7. Droughts. They are caused by a delayed onset, long breaks or early withdrawal of the monsoon, often in El Nino years. Drought-prone areas include Rajasthan, Gujarat, the interior Deccan and parts of Odisha.

8. Floods. They are caused by very heavy rain, cyclones and silted riverbeds. Flood-prone areas include the Brahmaputra and Ganga plains (Assam, Bihar, West Bengal) and the deltas of the east coast.

Four Seasons, Rainfall Distribution, Droughts and Floods in India: key facts

Seasons: $C oo l - d r y : D ece mb er - F e b r u a r y ∣ H o t - d r y : M a r c h - M a y ∣ H o t - w e t : J u n e - S e pt e mb er ∣ C oo l - w e t : O c t o b er - N o v e mb er$
Rainfall zones: Over 200 cm very heavy
100-200 cm moderate
50-100 cm low
Below 50 cm very low
Local storms: Loo north
Kalbaisakhi West Bengal and Assam
Mango showers Kerala and Karnataka
Cherry blossom Karnataka
Variability: Low rainfall: high variability (above 50% in western Rajasthan) | High rainfall: low variability
Monsoon share: About three-quarters of annual rain | June-September

Over 200 cm	very heavy
100-200 cm	moderate
50-100 cm	low
Below 50 cm	very low

Loo	north
Kalbaisakhi	West Bengal and Assam
Mango showers	Kerala and Karnataka
Cherry blossom	Karnataka

How to answer Four Seasons, Rainfall Distribution, Droughts and Floods in India questions

For season questions, use a fixed template for each season.

1Name the season and its months.
2State the temperature pattern, south versus north.
3State the pressure and wind direction.
4State the rainfall pattern and the area benefited.
5Add the named local wind, storm or cyclone.
6For droughts and floods, give meaning, causes, affected areas and the mitigation line asked for.

Four Seasons, Rainfall Distribution, Droughts and Floods in India in real life

The idea, met in an everyday situation. Answer the question in your own words, then compare with the model answer. The one-line hook is what to remember.

Why a farmer in a dry region hesitates to borrow

Suppose a farmer in western Rajasthan and a farmer on the Western Ghats coast each hear the weather office forecast of normal rain next year, and the Rajasthan farmer is far more worried than the coastal one.

Using rainfall variability, explain why the first farmer worries more.

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

Variability is high where rainfall is low, above 50 per cent in western Rajasthan.
The Western Ghats coast has high rainfall and low variability, so the coastal farmer's rain is more dependable.

Answer: High variability in low-rainfall western Rajasthan makes the harvest uncertain; the coast is more dependable.

Memory hook: Little rain, big swings.

Preparing a household for a flood season

Suppose a family in a delta town on the east coast hears of a cyclone forming over the Bay of Bengal in November.

Name the season and give two reasons why this region faces heavy rain and floods then.

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

It is the cool and wet (retreating monsoon) season.
Tropical cyclones from the Bay of Bengal and the north-east monsoon bring heavy rain to the east coast, and silted riverbeds add to flooding.

Answer: Retreating monsoon; cyclones and north-east monsoon rain, with silted beds, cause floods.

Memory hook: East coast in autumn: cyclone season.

Tricks to remember Four Seasons, Rainfall Distribution, Droughts and Floods in India

Short memory aids. Say each one aloud once, then use it on a question the same day.

CH-HW-CW
Cool-dry, Hot-dry, Hot-wet, Cool-wet in the order December, March, June, October.
Use it when: Season order.
Wet where winds hit, dry where they pass
Very heavy rain: Ghats coast and north-east. Very low: western Rajasthan, Kachchh, Ladakh.
Use it when: Rainfall zones.
Drought west, flood east
Drought: Rajasthan, Gujarat, interior Deccan. Flood: Brahmaputra and Ganga plains and east-coast deltas.
Use it when: Affected areas.

Four Seasons, Rainfall Distribution, Droughts and Floods in India: solved examples

Ordered from board level to HOTS. Try each one before you open the solution.

Example 1: Local winds · 2 marks · Short answerBoard level

Name the local wind or storm of each: (a) hot dry afternoon wind of the northern plains, (b) evening thunderstorm of West Bengal and Assam.

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

(a) Loo.
(b) Kalbaisakhi (Nor'westers).

Answer: (a) Loo (b) Kalbaisakhi.

Example 2: Rainfall zones · 2 marks · Short answerBoard level

Name two regions each with very heavy rainfall (over 200 cm) and very low rainfall (below 50 cm).

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

Very heavy: the Western Ghats coast and Meghalaya (Mawsynram, Cherrapunji).
Very low: western Rajasthan and Ladakh.

Answer: Heavy: Western Ghats coast, Meghalaya. Very low: western Rajasthan, Ladakh.

Example 3: Hot and dry season · 4 marks · Long answerHarder board level

Describe the hot and dry season under temperature, pressure and local weather.

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

Months: March to May.
Temperature rises from south to north; the north-west exceeds 40-45 °C and the south is moderated by the sea.
Pressure: low develops over the north-west.
Local weather: loo, dust storms, Kalbaisakhi in West Bengal and Assam, mango showers in Kerala and Karnataka and cherry blossom showers in Karnataka.

Answer: March-May; temperature rises northwards; low pressure over the north-west; loo, dust storms, Kalbaisakhi and mango and cherry blossom showers.

Example 4: Cause of drought · 5 marks · Long answerHarder board level

Define drought, give three causes and name two drought-prone areas. Explain why droughts are more harmful where variability of rainfall is high.

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

Drought is a long period of deficient rainfall; the chapter page gives its causes and areas.
Causes: a delayed onset of the monsoon, long breaks, early withdrawal, often in El Nino years.
Areas: Rajasthan, Gujarat, interior Deccan, parts of Odisha.
High variability means that rainfall may fall far below the average in a bad year, making farming risky where the average is already low.

Answer: Prolonged deficient rain; caused by delayed onset, long breaks, early withdrawal (El Nino); Rajasthan and Gujarat; high variability makes shortfalls frequent and farming risky.

Example 5: Flood and drought in the same year · 4 marks · Long answerHOTS / competency

Case (invented): In one monsoon, Assam reports severe floods while western Rajasthan reports crop failure. (a) Name the cause of flood in Assam. (b) Name two causes of the crop failure. (c) Explain why both can happen in the same monsoon.

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

(a) Very heavy rain in the north-east and the Brahmaputra plain, and silted riverbeds.
(b) Low average rainfall with high variability, and a delayed onset or long breaks.
(c) Rainfall is unevenly distributed: the monsoon decreases from the north-east and Ghats towards the north-west, so some regions get excess and others a deficit.

Answer: (a) Heavy rain and silted beds (b) low, variable rain and breaks (c) uneven distribution of monsoon rain across regions.

Where students lose marks in Four Seasons, Rainfall Distribution, Droughts and Floods in India

The slips examiners see most often, and what to write instead.

Mistake: Calling the retreating monsoon the winter season
Winter (December-February) is the cool dry season.
Do this: Date each season: October-November is cool and wet.
Usually costs: 1 mark.
Mistake: Giving rainfall zones without numbers
Over 200 cm, 100-200 cm, 50-100 cm and below 50 cm are expected.
Do this: Quote the class with its cm range.
Usually costs: 1 to 2 marks.
Mistake: Listing floods in Rajasthan and droughts in Assam
The affected areas are the other way round.
Do this: Drought: west and interior; flood: Brahmaputra and Ganga plains and east deltas.
Usually costs: 1 mark.
Mistake: Writing variability as the amount of rainfall
It is the change from year to year.
Do this: Define it as year-to-year change in rainfall.
Usually costs: 1 mark.

Exam tips

Use the season template: months, temperature, pressure and winds, rainfall, local weather.
Quote cm ranges in rainfall-distribution questions.
Mitigation programmes asked in the syllabus are not given on the chapter page: write only measures you are sure of and name them as examples.
Link droughts to El Nino and breaks of the monsoon.

Practice questions on Four Seasons, Rainfall Distribution, Droughts and Floods in India

Write each answer on paper first. Open the hint only if you are stuck, and the answer only when you have finished.

Q1 · 1 mark · MCQBoard level
Cherry blossom showers occur in:
(a) Kerala
(b) Karnataka
(c) Assam
(d) Punjab
Hint
Hot and dry season.
Answer
(b) Karnataka.
Q2 · 4 marks · Long answerHarder board level
Why is the season of October-November called cool and wet, and which coastal states benefit from its rain? Mention the pressure shift and one discomfort that people feel at the start of it.
Hint
October heat and cyclones.
Answer
October-November; temperature falls gradually but October heat occurs due to high humidity; the low shifts to the Bay of Bengal; the monsoon withdraws and cyclones and the north-east monsoon bring heavy rain to Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Odisha.
Q3 · 3 marks · Short answerHarder board level
Explain the winter rainfall of north-west India and of the Tamil Nadu coast.
Hint
Two different systems.
Answer
North-west India gets rain and snow from western disturbances. The Tamil Nadu coast gets rain from the north-east monsoon.
Q4 · 3 marks · Short answerHarder board level
What is variability of rainfall? Where is it high and where is it low, and why does this matter for farming?
Hint
Year-to-year change.
Answer
It is the year-to-year change in rainfall. It is high where rainfall is low (above 50 per cent in western Rajasthan) and low where rainfall is high (Western Ghats coast, north-east). High variability makes farming risky.
Q5 · 4 marks · Long answerHOTS / competency
Case (invented): A district receives 80 cm in a normal year. Next year it receives 45 cm after a delayed monsoon and long breaks. (a) Which rainfall class is each year (low or very low)? (b) State the likely hazard. (c) Suggest which of the listed drought-prone areas it might resemble and why.
Hint
50 cm is the dividing line.
Answer
(a) 80 cm is low (50-100 cm); 45 cm is very low (below 50 cm). (b) Drought. (c) It resembles the interior Deccan or eastern Rajasthan, which lie in the low-rainfall belt and suffer from delayed onset and breaks.

Test your recall

Answer in your head or on paper first, then open the card. Pulling an answer out of memory makes it stick far better than re-reading.

1.Share of annual rain in the hot and wet season?Show answer
About three-quarters.
2.Months of the cool and dry season?Show answer
December to February.
3.Which area has variability above 50 per cent?Show answer
Western Rajasthan.
4.Where are the mango showers?Show answer
Kerala and Karnataka.
5.What is 'October heat'?Show answer
High temperature with humidity in the retreating monsoon.

Four Seasons, Rainfall Distribution, Droughts and Floods in India: frequently asked questions

Which are the four seasons of India?

Cool and dry, hot and dry, hot and wet, and cool and wet (retreating monsoon).

What causes a drought?

Delayed onset, long breaks or early withdrawal of the monsoon, often in El Nino years.

Why does Tamil Nadu get rain in winter?

The north-east monsoon and cyclones bring rain to the Coromandel coast.

Which region is flood-prone?

The Brahmaputra and Ganga plains and east-coast deltas.