RAS question
The retreating monsoon season in India is associated with:
Correct answer: (C) Northeast winds.
The retreating monsoon season in India is associated with northeast winds, which bring northeast monsoon rain to the Tamil Nadu coast in October-November.
Explanation
The retreating monsoon refers to the October-November phase when the southwest monsoon weakens and withdraws. NCERT explains that in winter the wind system reverses, with winds blowing from the northeast towards the south and southwest; these are the northeast monsoons. During October and November, these northeast monsoon winds cross the Bay of Bengal, pick up moisture, and bring heavy rainfall to the Tamil Nadu coast and nearby parts of the south-eastern Peninsula. That is why the retreating monsoon is identified with northeast winds, not the advancing southwest monsoon. The season is generally dry over north India, but it is the main rainy period for the eastern side of the Peninsula, especially the Tamil Nadu and Coromandel coast.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) Southwest winds are linked with the advancing southwest monsoon, not the retreating phase after that system weakens and withdraws.
- (B) Westerlies are associated with winter influence over north India, not with the October-November retreating monsoon rain mechanism on the Tamil Nadu coast.
- (D) Trade winds describe a broader general circulation pattern, whereas the retreating monsoon is specifically marked by the seasonal reversal into northeast monsoon winds.
Concept
The Indian monsoon mechanism depends on seasonal wind reversal, monsoon withdrawal, and regional rainfall contrast. RAS geography preparation often covers all-India monsoon phases before moving to Rajasthan's state-level climate patterns.