Q30. The Tamil Nadu coast receives a large portion of its rainfall during which months?
[SSC GD Constable 2022 (10 January 2023, Shift 2)]
(A) April and May
(B) October and November
(C) May and June
(D) August and September
Answer: (B) October and November
Explanation: The northeast or retreating monsoon is especially important to coastal Tamil Nadu in October and November. Air flowing across the Bay of Bengal carries moisture ashore. This produces a rainfall calendar unlike most of the Indian mainland.
Q29. Delhi usually receives monsoon showers from which branch by around the end of June?
[RRB Group D (30 September 2022, Shift 3)]
(A) Mediterranean region branch
(B) Bay of Bengal branch
(C) Returning monsoon
(D) Arabian Sea branch
Answer: (B) Bay of Bengal branch
Explanation: The Bay of Bengal branch moves northwest across northern India, often contributing to the arrival of rain in Delhi near the end of June. Actual onset dates vary annually. The Arabian Sea branch influences the west coast and interior separately.
Q28. In which season do the hot and dry afternoon winds called Loo blow?
[RRB Group D (27 September 2022, Shift 2)]
(A) Retreating monsoon
(B) Hot weather season
(C) Cold weather season
(D) Southwest monsoon season
Answer: (B) Hot weather season
Explanation: Loo is a scorching, dry wind that occurs during the pre-monsoon summer over northern and northwestern India. It often blows in the afternoons of May and June. The onset of moisture-bearing monsoon winds normally reduces its frequency.
Q27. Pre-monsoon showers in Kerala and Karnataka near the end of the summer season are known as what?
[RRB Group D (26 September 2022, Shift 1)]
(A) Orange showers
(B) Papaya showers
(C) Mango showers
(D) Grape showers
Answer: (C) Mango showers
Explanation: Mango showers are local pre-monsoon rains that occur in parts of Kerala and Karnataka. Their timing may help early mango ripening and support crops. They differ from the widespread sustained rainfall following the arrival of the southwest monsoon.
Q26. The period beginning when monsoon rainfall suddenly increases, called its burst, generally lasts from which months in India?
[RRB Group D (17 September 2022, Shift 2)]
(A) July to early September
(B) Early June to mid-September
(C) Early June to August
(D) Early July to mid-August
Answer: (B) Early June to mid-September
Explanation: The southwest monsoon normally advances onto the Indian mainland in early June and supplies major rainfall through much of September. The term burst refers to its sudden initial increase in precipitation. Timing and duration vary by place and year.
Q25. What is the general climatic type of the Indian subcontinent?
[RRB Group D (9 September 2022, Shift 1)]
(A) Mediterranean
(B) Temperate monsoon
(C) Equatorial
(D) Tropical monsoon
Answer: (D) Tropical monsoon
Explanation: The Indian subcontinent broadly follows a tropical monsoon pattern marked by summer rainfall and a comparatively drier winter. Temperature, altitude and distance from the sea create regional variations, including arid Rajasthan and the colder Himalayan highlands.
Q24. Which state among these received the greatest share of its rainfall from the northeast monsoon in 2021?
[RRB Group D (8 September 2022, Shift 3)]
(A) Uttar Pradesh
(B) Haryana
(C) Tamil Nadu
(D) Gujarat
Answer: (C) Tamil Nadu
Explanation: Tamil Nadu is particularly dependent on northeast monsoon rains that arrive after the main southwest monsoon begins withdrawing. The moist winds cross the Bay of Bengal and bring rain to the southeastern coast, unlike most northern states.
Q23. Which Indian state receives winter-season rain due to the retreating monsoon?
[RRB Group D (30 August 2022, Shift 1)]
(A) Tamil Nadu
(B) West Bengal
(C) Madhya Pradesh
(D) Gujarat
Answer: (A) Tamil Nadu
Explanation: Retreating monsoon winds, generally northeasterly, gather moisture over the Bay of Bengal before reaching Tamil Nadu. This produces a significant share of the state’s annual precipitation in October–December, contrasting with the summer-dominated rains of much of India.
Q22. In a normal monsoon year, when do monsoon winds reach Punjab, western Uttar Pradesh and Haryana?
[RRB Group D (25 August 2022, Shift 2)]
(A) First week of May
(B) First week of June
(C) First week of August
(D) First week of July
Answer: (D) First week of July
Explanation: Monsoon winds normally reach Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh around the first week of July. The advance begins in the south and proceeds northward. Actual dates differ from year to year, depending on weather systems and circulation.
Q21. Which region is known to receive the greatest rainfall from southwest monsoon winds among these?
[RRB Group D (23 August 2022, Shift 3)]
(A) Western Ghats
(B) Gangetic Plains
(C) Central Plateau
(D) Eastern Ghats
Answer: (A) Western Ghats
Explanation: The windward Western Ghats receive very heavy southwest monsoon rain when humid Arabian Sea air rises over the mountain barrier. The leeward Deccan interior is much drier. This is a classic example of orographic rainfall and rain shadow.
