UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — Many twists in the monsoon’s tale

Q1. With reference to the classification of cyclonic disturbances over the North Indian Ocean by the India Meteorological Department (IMD), consider the following statements: Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. The category of a disturbance is determined by its maximum sustained surface wind speed rather than by the rainfall it produces.
  2. Two storms with maximum sustained winds of about 110 km/h and about 140 km/h respectively would fall in the same category, since both exceed the upper limit of a cyclonic storm.
  3. A single system can move through several categories during its life as its sustained winds strengthen or weaken.
  • A. 1, 2 and 3
  • B. 2 and 3 only
  • C. 1 and 3 only
  • D. 1 only

Q2. Consider the following statements: Which of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?

  1. A larger proportion of cyclonic disturbances dissipate over the sea without making landfall in the western Arabian Sea than in the Bay of Bengal.
  2. The Arabian Sea is relatively colder than the Bay of Bengal, which weakens the supply of heat and moisture that sustains a cyclone.
  • A. Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II explains Statement-I
  • B. Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct, but Statement-II does not explain Statement-I
  • C. Statement-I is correct, but Statement-II is incorrect
  • D. Statement-I is incorrect, but Statement-II is correct

Q3. With reference to intra-seasonal variability of the Indian southwest monsoon, consider the following statements: Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. IMD's extended-range forecasts of active and break phases of the monsoon draw substantially on the state of the Madden–Julian Oscillation.
  2. A break in the monsoon is associated with the monsoon trough shifting southward over central India, bringing widespread rain to the plains.
  3. A State whose total seasonal rainfall ends near normal cannot, by definition, have experienced drought conditions during that season.
  • A. 1, 2 and 3
  • B. 1 only
  • C. 1 and 2 only
  • D. 2 and 3 only

Q4. With reference to the naming of tropical cyclones over the North Indian Ocean, consider the following statements: Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. Naming is done by a regional centre on behalf of all Panel member countries, rather than by each country for storms approaching its own coast.
  2. Only countries bordering the Bay of Bengal contribute names to the list, since most cyclones of the region form there.
  3. Names are used sequentially from a single list, irrespective of whether the storm forms over the Bay of Bengal or the Arabian Sea.
  4. A depression that weakens before reaching cyclonic storm intensity is not given a name.
  • A. 1, 3 and 4 only
  • B. 1 and 3 only
  • C. 2 and 4 only
  • D. 1, 2, 3 and 4

Q5. In late October 2026, extremely heavy rainfall from Bay of Bengal systems struck much of Andhra Pradesh but largely spared Rayalaseema, a region often counted among India's most drought-prone. Which of the following best explains why this region stays relatively dry in both the southwest and the northeast monsoon seasons?

  • A. It lies windward of the Eastern Ghats in the southwest monsoon and directly on the path of retreating winds
  • B. It lies north of the monsoon trough in both seasons, so that moist winds never converge over it
  • C. It lies under the Bay of Bengal branch, which sheds its moisture over the plateau before reaching the coast
  • D. It lies leeward of the Western Ghats in the southwest monsoon and far inland from the Bay of Bengal coast

Q6. With reference to the northeast monsoon season (October–December) in India, consider the following statements: Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. Over most of northern India the winds of this season blow from sea to land, which is why the season is wet across the Indo-Gangetic plains.
  2. Along the south-eastern coast, rainfall in this season is enhanced by depressions and cyclones that form over the Bay of Bengal.
  3. Rainfall of this season over the south-eastern coast is brought mainly by the Arabian Sea branch of the monsoon after it crosses the Western Ghats.
  • A. 2 only
  • B. 2 and 3 only
  • C. 1, 2 and 3
  • D. 1 and 2 only