Rainy season

Rainy Season” also known as “Wet Season” in some places, is that period of the year when the region’s most annual rainfall takes place. Tropical and subtropical regions scattered on the both sides of equator, experience rainy season depending on their geographical location. Usually rainy season continues for a month, while in some places it may remain consistent for three to four months. In the essay below we will go through topics like – what causes a rainy season, what are the months of a rainy season, what is importance of rainy season and finally a conclusion.

Months of Rainy Season

There is no fixed period of rainy season and several places across the globe experience different durations of rainy season. For example, tropical rain forests don’t experience seasonal wet and dry months and the rainfall in the area occurs throughout the year. Republic of Guyana in South America, experiences two rainy seasons in a year, each spanning around a month.The wet season in Indian subcontinent is termed as “monsoon” is typically a summer monsoon that lasts for nearly three to four months.

What Causes Rainy Season

Rainy season is a periodical phenomenon that occurs due to changes in flow of winds carrying moisture and clouds. When a particular area gets heated up during the day, the surrounding air becomes lighter and rises up creating a low pressure zone. This pushes the moisture laden winds over the oceans, onto the main land. When these winds carrying moisture and clouds reach the mainland, they cause precipitation or rain. When the cycle continues for a period of a couple of months, the region is said to be experiencing its monsoon or wet season.

Rainy season is also a periodic occurrence over the oceans when the same cycle of winds reverses and causes precipitation over the seas.

Rainy Season in India

Rainy season in India is called south west summer monsoon and is a four month period of mild to high rainfall falling covering almost whole country. The Indian monsoon has its origin in southern Indian Ocean where a high pressure mass is formed by the equatorial trade winds.

South Asia which had been facing hot climatic conditions, consequently developing a low pressure area these winds carry humidity into mainland India through south west. South west monsoon in India arrives in two parts – Bay of Bengal monsoon and the Arabian Sea monsoon.

The Arabian Sea monsoon extends over the Thar Desert in west India, and is subsequently stronger than the Bay of Bengal monsoon. The bay of Bengal monsoon traverses through the eastern coast of India passing through the states of Odisha, West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand and the north east states of India. It then moves on towards the Indo-Gangetic plains of north India.

As the country becomes cooler by the spell of monsoon, the latter gets weaker over time and it exits north India sometime around the mid of August. Monsoon typically leaves Mumbai by 5^th October and till November end it completely exits from India.

Importance of Rainy Season

Rainy season play a significant role in the economy of a nation, especially in an agricultural driven economy as India. The agriculture sector in India comprises around 20% of the nation’s GDP (Gross Domestic Product). It is also one of the greatest employers, employing 600 Million people throughout the nation.

Monsoon therefore is very essential for the economical health of India as the harvest of produces up to a large extent depends on the quality of monsoon. A good monsoon will get the economy booming with good agriculture produces; on the other hand, a weak monsoon could cause famine, drought and wide spread poverty.

Monsoon is also very important for maintaining ground water level as well as water level of natural water resources. Large amount of flora and fauna and also human beings depend on the available natural water resources. Rainy season replenishes these fresh water resources supplying them with enough water to sustain next dry season.

Persistent rains during a monsoon also provide us an opportunity to collect runoff water through various methods of rainwater harvesting. Simple methods of rainwater harvesting can be deployed to collect runoff water from our roof tops, streets and gardens. The water can be collected in tanks, to be used as a backup supply in summer.

Rainy Season is undoubtedly the most pleasing and the most essential season of the year, especially for the country where agriculture is considered as its economical backbone. The season also replenishes the naturally occurring fresh water supplies and rejuvenates the life on planet. Water is essential for life on earth, and a pretty good amount of it is supplied by rains during the wet seasons. Without wet/rainy season, many green parts of earth will soon turn into dry and arid desert, whit rare or no sign of any form of life.