What is the reason why the Tamil Nadu coast remains dry during the Southwest Monsoon?
1. The Tamil Nadu coast is situated parallel to the Bay of Bengal branch of southwest monsoon.
2. It lies in the rainshadow area of the Arabian Sea branch of the south-west monsoon.

Select the correct answer using the codes given below:
(a) 1 Only
(b) 2 Only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 or 2

Question

What is the reason why the Tamil Nadu coast remains dry during the Southwest Monsoon?
1. The Tamil Nadu coast is situated parallel to the Bay of Bengal branch of southwest monsoon.
2. It lies in the rainshadow area of the Arabian Sea branch of the south-west monsoon.

Select the correct answer using the codes given below:
(a) 1 Only
(b) 2 Only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 or 2

ONLiNE UPSC · Accepted Answer

Statement 1 is correct: Tamil Nadu Coast is parallel to the Bay of Bengal branch of the Southwest Monsoon. The Bay of Bengal branch of the southwest monsoon moves from the southeast to the northwest, running parallel to the Tamil Nadu coast. Because of this alignment, the winds do not bring significant rainfall to the region.

Statement 2 is correct: Tamil Nadu lies in the rainshadow area of the Arabian Sea branch of the Southwest Monsoon. The Arabian Sea branch of the monsoon hits the Western Ghats and causes heavy rainfall on the windward side (Kerala, Karnataka, Maharashtra) but by the time it crosses over to the eastern side (Tamil Nadu), the winds have lost most of their moisture, leaving Tamil Nadu relatively dry.

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M Question 1	⏱ 0
What is the reason why the Tamil Nadu coast remains dry during the Southwest Monsoon? 1. The Tamil Nadu coast is situated parallel to the Bay of Bengal branch of southwest monsoon. 2. It lies in the rainshadow area of the Arabian Sea branch of the south-west monsoon. Select the correct answer using the codes given below: (a) 1 Only (b) 2 Only (c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 or 2