Climatic Regions of India
The commonly used classification is Koeppen's scheme as applied to India. Exam questions ask for type, symbol and region. Other classifications (Trewartha, Thornthwaite, Stamp) are rarely asked, but you should know their names and authors.
Koeppen's climatic types in India
| Symbol | Type | Region |
|---|---|---|
| Amw | Monsoon with short dry season | West coast south of Goa (Konkan, Malabar) |
| As | Monsoon with dry summer | Coromandel coast of Tamil Nadu |
| Aw | Tropical savanna | Most of the peninsular plateau except the western and south-east parts |
| BShw | Semi-arid steppe | Rain-shadow belt west of the Western Ghats (Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra) and parts of Rajasthan and Punjab |
| BWhw | Hot desert | Western Rajasthan (Thar) |
| Cwg | Monsoon with dry winter | Ganga plain, eastern Rajasthan, north MP, most of north-east India |
| Dfc | Cold humid winter with short cool summer | Arunachal Pradesh |
| E / ET | Tundra | Uttarakhand, Himachal, J&K high ranges |
| H | Highland / ice caps | Permanent snow in the Himalaya |
Letters decoded
- A = tropical, B = dry, C = warm temperate, D = cold snow forest, E = polar.
- w = dry winter, s = dry summer, m = monsoon, f = no dry season; S = steppe, W = desert; h = hot.
Other classifications at a glance
- Trewartha: modified Koeppen using temperature and rainfall in months.
- Thornthwaite: based on potential evapotranspiration and moisture index.
- Stamp: rainfall-based regional classification for India.
- Indian regions by NCERT: Tropical monsoon, hot desert, semi-arid, alpine/cold.
Climate and human life
- Monsoon timing decides sowing dates; a delayed monsoon hurts kharif crops.
- Heat waves and cold waves kill hundreds every year, so state governments have Heat Action Plans.
- Climate change signals in India: more extreme rain, shrinking glaciers, sea-level rise on the coast.
Keep practising
Notes are only half the work. Test yourself with questions and discuss doubts with other aspirants.
Prepared for exam revision from NCERT, standard geography textbooks, the Census of India 2011, the India State of Forest Report, IMD, Ministry of Agriculture and other official sources. Maps are schematic teaching maps, not Survey of India maps, and zone boundaries are approximate. Figures such as production, capacity, counts of parks and ports, and census status change, so check the latest official source before relying on them. Found a mistake? Tell us.