SSC
The pre-monsoon showers in Kerala and coastal Karnataka, which help in the early ripening of mangoes, are known as:
Answer (Detailed Solution Below)View answer ▾Hide ▴
Answer: Option D — Mango showers
Detailed Solution
Mango showers are pre-monsoon thunderstorms that occur towards the end of summer, in April and May, along the coasts of Kerala and Karnataka. They are called mango showers because they help the mangoes ripen early and are common at mango harvest time.
How they form:
- During the hot weather season, intense heating of the land creates low pressure and rising air.
- Moist winds from the Arabian Sea are drawn in, and convection produces local thunderstorms with rain.
- These showers come before the main arrival of the south-west monsoon, which usually reaches Kerala around 1 June.
Pre-monsoon weather phenomena of India (hot weather season, March to May):
- Mango showers: Kerala and coastal Karnataka; help in the ripening of mangoes.
- Blossom showers (cherry blossom showers): in Kodagu and other coffee-growing areas of Karnataka and Kerala; they make coffee plants flower.
Kalbaisakhi (Nor'westers): violent evening thunderstorms in West Bengal, Odisha and Assam, coming from the north-west. "Kalbaisakhi" means "calamity of the month of Baisakh". In Assam they are called "tea showers" because they help tea plants.
Bardoli Chheerha: the local name of the Nor'westers in Assam.
Loo: hot, dry, dusty winds that blow in the afternoons over the northern plains, from Punjab to Bihar, in May and June. They can cause heatstroke.
Andhi: dust storms in Rajasthan and the north-western plains.
Importance of mango showers:
- They bring relief from the summer heat.
- They help mangoes ripen and benefit coffee, pepper and other crops of the region.
- They moisten the soil and help farmers prepare land for sowing before the monsoon.
Why not the other options?
- ✗Kalbaisakhi are violent pre-monsoon thunderstorms of West Bengal and Odisha.
- ✗Loo is a hot, dry wind of the northern plains, which brings no rain.
- ✗Bardoli Chheerha is the name of the Nor'westers in Assam.
Quick tip
Remember: Mango showers = Kerala-Karnataka (mangoes); Blossom showers = coffee (Karnataka); Kalbaisakhi = West Bengal; Loo = hot, dry wind of the northern plains.
💬 Discussions on this question
Ask a doubt ›Still stuck on this question? Ask our faculty and fellow students — answers appear here.
Ask a doubtMore Climate, Soils & Vegetation of India Questions
View all ›- Q1.The Forest (Conservation) Act was passed in India in the year:
- Q2.The new alluvium deposited by floods in the Ganga plain is called:
- Q3.The black soil of the Peninsular Plateau, also called regur, has developed mainly over the region known as the:
- Q4.Laterite soil develops mainly as a result of:
- Q5.Alpine vegetation in India is found in the:
More General Knowledge Questions
- Q1.The techniques of Rasa and Bhava used in Indian classical dance trace their origin to which ancient text?Indian Dance Forms
- Q2.Lavani, Powada, Koli, Waghya Murali and Dhangari Gaja are folk dances of which state?Indian Dance Forms
- Q3.The one-act play associated with the Sattriya tradition of Assam is called:Indian Dance Forms
- Q4.Which dance form of Goa is known as the 'Warrior Dance'?Indian Dance Forms
- Q5.Manipuri dance is based on the Rasleela themes of:Indian Dance Forms
Climate, Soils & Vegetation of India — Preparation
This question tests your understanding of Climate, Soils & Vegetation of India, a key topic in the General Knowledge section. The detailed solution above uses a step-by-step approach to show the reasoning, and where available, a shortcut that helps you solve similar questions in under 90 seconds during the actual exam.
This topic covers the climate of India and the monsoon, the seasons and the distribution of rainfall, the major soil types (alluvial, black, red, laterite, arid and mountain soils), and India's natural vegetation, including the types of forests and the states where they are found. Common questions ask which soil is best for cotton (black or regur soil), where laterite soil forms, which place receives the highest rainfall (Mawsynram in Meghalaya), and what 'mango showers' and the 'retreating monsoon' are. Questions on forest types usually link a forest type to its rainfall and to trees such as teak, sal and sundari. Practise the climate, soils and vegetation of India questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.