Cherrapunji
Also called: Sohra · Topic: Climate of India and the Monsoon · NCERT: Class 11, Ch 2 "Structure and Physiography"; Class 11, Ch 4 "Climate"
Meaning
Cherrapunji, also called Sohra, is a town on the Khasi hills of Meghalaya. It is famous for record rainfall. Moist winds of the Bay of Bengal branch of the monsoon blow in from the south and are forced up the steep hills. As the air rises, it cools and drops very heavy rain.
Mawsynram and Cherrapunji together get over 1,080 cm of rain a year. The heavy rain has washed away the soil, leaving a bare, rocky surface. This shows that very high rainfall does not always mean rich soil or thick vegetation.
Example
Cherrapunji lies on the southern edge of the Khasi hills, facing the plains of Bangladesh. The monsoon winds coming north from the Bay of Bengal strike these slopes first.
Don't confuse with
- Mawsynram: this is a nearby village, also on the Khasi hills. Mawsynram gets the world's highest average yearly rainfall. Cherrapunji is known for its historic rainfall records.
Related concepts
- Southwest monsoon season
- Arabian Sea branch of the monsoon
- Rain shadow area
- Bay of Bengal branch of the monsoon
- Mawsynram
- Dry Tamil Nadu coast in the southwest monsoon
- Break in the monsoon
- Monsoon depression