Q. Which of the following statement about South-west Monsoon is/are correct?
1. It is formed after southeast trade winds crosses equator.
2. The Monsoon has two branches- the Arabian Sea branch and the Bay of Bengal branch.
3. The Monsoon enters West Bengal and Bangladesh in South-westerly direction.
4. The Arabian Sea branch reaches Punjab plains.
Select the correct answer using the codes given below:
As a result of rapid increase of temperature in May over the northwestern plains, the low pressure conditions over there get further intensified. By early June, they are powerful enough to attract the trade winds of Southern Hemisphere coming from the Indian Ocean. These southeast trade winds cross the equator and enter the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea, only to be caught up in the air circulation over India. Passing over the equatorial warm currents, they bring with them moisture in abundance. After crossing the equator, they follow a southwesterly direction. That is why they are known as southwest monsoons.
As these winds approach the land, their southwesterly direction is modified by the relief and thermal low pressure over the northwest India. The monsoon approaches the landmass in two branches:
(i) The Arabian Sea branch
(ii) The Bay of Bengal branch.
A third branch of this monsoon wind strikes the Saurashtra Peninsula and the Kachchh. It then passes over west Rajasthan and along the Aravalis, causing only a scanty rainfall. In Punjab and Haryana, it too joins the Bay of Bengal branch.
Source: NCERT- Indian Physical Geography
