Why does precipitation occur before the monsoons? How to distinguish it from monsoon rains

As the country struggles with extreme heat waves, all eyes are on the upcoming monsoon season, which usually begins in June. The Indian monsoon lasts from June to September, with large areas of western and central India receiving more than 90% of their total annual rainfall, while southern and northwestern India receive 50% -75% of its total annual rainfall.

The monsoon reaches Kerala on June 1. In some parts of the country, however, pre-monsoon rains have already begun, which provides some relief from the scorching summer heat. So here we are trying to understand what rain is before the monsoons and how it differs from the monsoon season.

The term mango rains is used to describe the occurrence of pre-monsoon rainfall.

Read Heavy rains, thunderstorms in Delhi-NCR bring relief from the heat wave, flight operations are affected

Why does precipitation occur before the monsoons?

As the sun shifts north to the Tropics of Cancer after the vernal equinox, the whole of India is experiencing rising temperatures and marking the beginning of the pre-monsoon season. According to the Indian Meteorological Department, the pre-monsoon is from March to May. All precipitation during this period can be attributed to pre-monsoon precipitation.

Pre-monsoon rains begin and recede from the Indian subcontinent earlier than the northern parts. June is a very pre-monsoon season for northern India, but the southwestern monsoon usually hits Kerala by June 1. At the same time, the monsoons reached parts of Northeast India.

The season before the monsoon is synonymous with heat and humidity with uncomfortable conditions during the day and night. However, much stronger winds lower temperatures to a comfortable level during the monsoon season.

The clouds are rather vertical in the pre-monsoon season and appear mainly in the late afternoon and early evening. They are triggered by high temperatures and the accumulation of rising clouds.

It is also called Kalbaisakhi in West Bengal, Mango Showers in Karnataka and Blossom Shower in Kerala. It is usually called the April rains. They help in the early ripening of mangoes and are often called “mango showers”.

The classic features of these showers are the shape of the precipitation, which is mostly convective. Daily heating triggers the convection process and therefore you get thunderstorms after the afternoon. So ideally one day will start with clear skies and summer temperatures, but in the afternoon these pre-monsoon rains begin to appear and cool winds will lower temperatures.

What is monsoon rain?

The monsoon is a seasonal change in the direction of the prevailing or strongest winds in a region. Monsoons cause wet and dry seasons in much of the tropics. Monsoons are most commonly associated with the Indian Ocean. Monsoons always blow from cold to warm regions.

The monsoon season in India consists of very large and complex processes. In May-June, the Indian subcontinent began to heat up, while temperatures in and around the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal were relatively low.

Due to this temperature difference, clouds of seawater move in large quantities to northern India and as they go there, it rains all over India, which is called monsoon rain.

Characteristics of pre-monsoon and monsoon rains

Pre-monsoon rains are characterized by conditions of heat and humidity. This uncomfortable condition lasts all day and night. But strong winds give some relief from the heat. But with monsoons, due to winds and prolonged rains, there is a drop in temperature. There is also a big difference between clouds and their flow. Clouds before the monsoon move up and usually rain in the evening.

Clouds before the monsoon move up and form at higher temperatures. Monsoon clouds, on the other hand, are layered clouds that travel long distances from one place to another. These layers have a high moisture content. The pre-monsoon rains are strong and sharp, ending in a day or two. At the same time, the change of monsoon rain is long and this rain also happens again and again.

Monsoon rains can come at any time of the day. But pre-monsoon rains come only in the afternoon or evening. There is also a difference in wind in both rains. The rains before the monsoons are dust storms caused by gusty winds.

Due to the greater difference in heat and temperature, sea and land breezes show more importance before the onset of the monsoon, which creates humidity and cloudy conditions. But such winds are not visible in the monsoon. Yes, strong cyclonic winds caused by monsoons are definitely seen many times.

Pre-monsoon rains, as they say, are like local rains only in a limited area. But the monsoon rains cover a very large area and during this time there is the same time in the whole area. As an agricultural country, the people of India are waiting for the monsoon rains, because the whole economy depends on food crops, which depends on the rains.