South Asia
Climate & Vegetation
What are we wanting to find out
about S. Asia’s Climate
& Vegetation?
1. What are the 6 major climate regions
of South Asia?
2.How do seasonal weather patterns
present challenges to the region’s
economy?
3. How do elevation & rainfall affect
South Asia’s vegetation?
South Asia’s Climates
 Much of the subcontinent lies beneath the Tropic of
Cancer, in the South, so it has tropical climates with
diverse vegetation
 In the North & West, climate varies widely from the
highlands of the Himalaya to the deserts around the
Indus River.
Climates
Tropical Rain Forest Climates
Tropical Savannah Climate
Highlands Climate
Humid Subtropical
Desert Climate
Steppe
Monsoons
 Seasons
 Hot: Late February to June
 Wet: From June/July to September
 Cool: October to Late February
 Monsoons
 Seasonal Winds
 During cool season, dry monsoon winds blow from the N. and NE.
 During hot season, warm temps heat the air and trigger change in
the wind….bringing air from the S & SW, and monsoon rains
Natural Disasters
 Monsoon Rains
 Heaviest in EASTERN South Asia
 Himalaya block them from moving NORTH
 As a result, rain moves west to the Ganges Plain
 Mixed Blessings
 Temperatures
 High temperatures allow farmers to produce crops like rice (which many
in India & Bangladesh rely on)
 Extreme heat can result in evaporation and dried-out soil
 Wind
 The winds allow the Ganges plain to have lush crops, it leaves areas like
the Deccan Plateau and W. Pakistan extremely dry, with drought
conditions
 Rain
 Too much rain in low areas=flooding, death, crop devastation