Weather and Seasons

Concept: Summer and Winter

• We experience different seasons round the year due to the movement of Earth around the Sun, which is called revolution.
• Each season shows a different climate.
• A year is divided mainly into four seasons—winter, summer, spring, and monsoon.

Changes in the seasons:

• The Earth rotates on a tilted axis while revolving around the Sun.
• The seasons vary based on the positions of the Earth and the Sun.
• Seasons are different in different regions of the Earth based on whether they are towards or away from the Sun.
• Due to the tilt of the Earth, the sunlight falling on different parts of the Earth varies. Some places receive more while others receive less.

Summer

• The summer season is the hottest of all four seasons.
• It starts in March and ends in July.
• We are closest to the Sun in this season.
• The summer is marked by longer days and shorter nights.
• The weather in summer is hot and humid. There is a considerable difference in temperature during the day and night. Both days and nights are hot.
• During the summer, a hot and dry wind called loo blows over some parts of northern India. Exposure to such winds often causes heatstroke.
• Some states of India face acute water shortages during the summer season.
• The seasonal rivers dry in summers, whereas the perennial rivers like the Ganga, Brahmaputra, and Yamuna have water throughout the year.

Delicacies of summers:

• Different kinds of melons, cucumbers, gourds, mango, papaya, pumpkin, jackfruits, cashew, litchi, blackberry, and palm fruit are available during the summer.
• Brinjal, okra, white onion, spinach, and cowpeas are some vegetables grown in the summers.
• Regional crops grown in summers are cotton, groundnut, maize, and rice.

Clothing in summers:

• The summer season witnesses a hot and humid climate, so, white cotton clothes are best during these days.
• Hats, caps, and umbrellas are used to avoid the Sun’s heat.
• Loose cotton clothes help remain ventilated during high temperatures.
• Traditional turbans are also worn in different regions of our country.

Festivities in the summer:

The summer season is marked by different festivals across India. Some of them are mentioned below—

Winter:

• It is the coldest season out of all the four seasons.
• Winter starts in November and lasts till February.
• The Earth is at the farthest distance from the Sun during winters.
• Mountain regions experience snowfalls, and plains are filled with fog due to extremely low temperatures.
• The days are shorter, and the nights are longer during winters.
• Cold and dry breezes are experienced during this season.
• Temperatures drop drastically during the winter nights. Morning is cold and foggy and the temperature is pleasant in the afternoons.
• Snow blizzards occur in places like Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, and Himachal Pradesh. Drass region in Kargil, Ladakh, has recorded the lowest temperature of -60ºC.

Delicacies of winters:

• Apple, strawberries, orange, guava, pineapple, pomegranate, grapes, Indian gooseberry, figs, and chiku are some fruits available in winter.
• Different vegetables like peas, cauliflower, carrots, mustard, fenugreek leaves, spinach, radish, spring onion, etc., are harvested in the winter.
• Some famous dishes enjoyed in winter are til laddoo, makki ki roti, sarso ka saag, muthiya, etc.
• Regional crops grown in winter are wheat, barley, mustard, gram, and peas.

Clothing in winters:

• Woollen clothes are worn in north India during winters. Southern India does not experience extremely low temperatures; hence, normal clothing is enough.
• Shawls, mufflers, and scarves are used to prevent extreme cold.
• Gloves, mittens, and caps are also frequently used.

Festivities in the winters:

• Many traditional festivals related to the harvest season are celebrated in winter.

Example: Lohri, Magh Bihu, Makar Sankranti, Pongal, etc.

• Christmas is celebrated worldwide with great zeal and enthusiasm during winters.

New Words:

Did You Know?

• The longest day on the Earth is 21st June (Summer solstice)
• The shortest day of the Earth is 22nd December (Winter solstice)
• Many villagers/tribal people practice drying vegetables during summer so those can be used in winter.
• Animals found in very cold regions go for a long winter sleep called hibernation. In that period, they are not in an active state and can survive without food or water.