UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — Southwest monsoon ends with 12% deficit, October rain also likely below normal: IMD

Q1. With reference to the El Niño phase of the El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and its link with the Indian summer monsoon, consider the following statements: Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. During an El Niño, sea level in the western equatorial Pacific rises relative to that in the eastern equatorial Pacific.
  2. An El Niño is associated with a weakening of the east-to-west trade winds, allowing warm surface water to spread eastward across the equatorial Pacific.
  3. During an El Niño, a compensating zone of descending air develops in the vicinity of India, suppressing convection and tending to reduce monsoon rainfall.
  • A. 1 and 3 only
  • B. 2 and 3 only
  • C. 1 and 2 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 3

Q2. Other factors remaining the same, which one of the following combinations of ocean–atmosphere conditions during June–September would be most favourable for a good Indian summer monsoon?

  • A. La Niña in the Pacific with a negative Indian Ocean Dipole
  • B. El Niño in the Pacific with a positive Indian Ocean Dipole
  • C. La Niña in the Pacific with a positive Indian Ocean Dipole
  • D. El Niño in the Pacific with a negative Indian Ocean Dipole

Q3. Consider the following statements: Which of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?

  1. The coastal areas of Tamil Nadu receive a large share of their annual rainfall during October to December.
  2. During October to December, a low-pressure trough over the Indo-Gangetic plain draws moist south-westerly winds from the Arabian Sea onto the Coromandel coast.
  • 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

Q4. Consider the following statements: Which of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?

  1. Because rabi crops are sown only after the southwest monsoon has withdrawn, a deficient southwest monsoon has little bearing on rabi output.
  2. Reservoir storage and carry-over soil moisture left behind by the monsoon influence the prospects of rabi crops.
  • 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

Q5. With reference to the spatial distribution of southwest monsoon rainfall in India, consider the following statements: Which of the statements given above are correct?

  1. The very heavy rainfall on the Meghalaya plateau comes mainly from the Arabian Sea branch of the monsoon after it crosses the Western Ghats.
  2. The Bay of Bengal branch produces heavy orographic rainfall in the Northeast, most notably over the Shillong Plateau.
  3. Because the Northeast normally receives very heavy rainfall, a given percentage deficit there means a smaller shortfall in millimetres than the same percentage deficit in a low-rainfall region.
  4. The all-India seasonal figure can hide regional departures much larger than the national departure, so a region can have a record-low season in a year that is not a record low for the country.
  • A. 2, 3 and 4 only
  • B. 1, 2, 3 and 4
  • C. 1 and 3 only
  • D. 2 and 4 only

Q6. Consider the following facts about a monsoon season: all-India June–September rainfall ended at 87% of the Long Period Average and was the lowest since 2015, when the country received slightly less rain; the East and Northeast region recorded its driest monsoon since records began in 1901. Which of the following inferences can be drawn from the above?

  1. Every meteorological subdivision of India received rainfall below its own long-term average during the season.
  2. The all-India seasonal rainfall of this year was the lowest recorded since 1901.
  3. The East and Northeast region received less monsoon rainfall this year than it did in 2015.
  • A. 3 only
  • B. 2 only
  • C. 1 only
  • D. 2 and 3 only