Precipitation & Distribution of rainfall MCQ Quiz - Objective Question with Answer for Precipitation & Distribution of rainfall - Download Free PDF

The correct answer is Gorakhpur.

• Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh receives the highest rainfall.

Key Points

• Gorakhpur has around 56 days of the rainy period.
• While western Uttar Pradesh has around 32 days of the rainy period.
• The western plains and plateau regions also receive some amount of rainfall.
• The maximum rainfall is experienced in the months of July and August.
•  Rainfall received over Gorakhpur:-
  • 192.7 mm in June,
  • 367.2 mm in July,
  • 337.4 mm in August 
  • 220.2 mm in September,
  • 1117.5 mm in southwest monsoon, 1245.3 mm in annual.
• South-west monsoon winds proceed towards the western part but some part of these wind proceeds towards the north.
• These winds strike the Himalayan Mountain.

Additional Information

• Mathura receives the lowest rainfall. 

The correct answer is Sub-humid Sub-tropical Zone.

Key Points

• The Sub-humid Sub-tropical Zone in Himachal Pradesh receives the highest average rainfall in the state.
• This zone is predominantly located in the lower regions of the state, including districts like Kangra, Una, and Hamirpur.
• The average annual rainfall in this zone ranges between 1,500 to 3,000 millimeters.
• This high level of rainfall supports dense forests and diverse flora and fauna, contributing significantly to the state's biodiversity.
• It plays a crucial role in the agricultural productivity of Himachal Pradesh, as rain-fed farming is common in this region.

Additional Information

• Climatic Zones of Himachal Pradesh:
  • Himachal Pradesh is divided into four distinct climatic zones: Alpine Zone, Temperate Zone, Sub-humid Sub-tropical Zone, and Cold Desert Zone.
  • Each zone has unique climatic conditions, vegetation, and agricultural practices.
• Alpine Zone:
  • This zone is characterized by cold weather and heavy snowfall.
  • It is located at higher altitudes above 3,600 meters.
• Temperate Zone:
  • Located between 1,500 to 3,600 meters above sea level.
  • This zone experiences moderate temperatures and receives moderate rainfall.
• Cold Desert Zone:
  • This zone is found in the trans-Himalayan region, including Lahaul and Spiti.
  • It receives very low precipitation and is characterized by harsh, cold desert conditions.

The correct answer is Hailstone.

Key Points

• Hailstone is a form of solid precipitation.
• It consists of balls or irregular lumps of ice.
• Hailstones are produced by cumulonimbus clouds, typically during intense thunderstorms.
• The formation process involves supercooled water droplets that freeze on contact with condensation nuclei.
• The hailstones grow larger as they are carried up and down in the storm cloud by strong updrafts and downdrafts.
• Eventually, when the hailstones become too heavy, they fall to the ground.

 Additional Information

• Dew
  • Dew is the result of condensation of water vapor on cool surfaces, typically during the night.
  • It forms when the surface temperature drops below the dew point of the surrounding air.
• Fog
  • Fog is a collection of tiny water droplets or ice crystals suspended in the air near the ground.
  • It reduces visibility and forms when air temperature drops to its dew point.
• Mist
  • Mist is similar to fog but less dense.
  • It results in a light, thin layer of water droplets suspended in the air.

The correct answer is Terai Region.

Key Points

• The Terai region of Uttar Pradesh receives maximum rainfall.
• ​Terai region receives these advantages due to the foothills of the Himalayas.
• The Tarai districts of Uttar Pradesh are typically a narrow tract of the vast Gangetic plain.
• The term Tarai signifies a moist land or low marshy area.​

Important Points

Plateau Region in UP:

• Bundelkhand plateau is the plateau region of the South in Uttar Pradesh.
• It falls in the southern part of UP along with the Vindhya Hills.

Plain terrain in UP:

• The Gangetic plain is watered by the Yamuna, the Ganges, and its major tributaries, the Ramganga, the Gomati, the Ghaghra, and Gandak.
• The whole plain is alluvial and very fertile.
• The chief crops cultivated here are rice, wheat, pearl millet, gram, and barley. Sugar cane is the chief cash crop of the region.

The correct answer is option 3

Key Points

• Convectional Rainfall occurs in central and eastern India during summer due to intense heating, leading to localized thunderstorms such as Nor’westers (Kal Baisakhi) in Bengal & Assam.
• Orographic Rainfall is dominant in the Western Ghats and northeastern states (Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh), where moist air rises over mountains, causing heavy rainfall on the windward side and creating rain-shadow regions like the Deccan Plateau.
• Cyclonic Rainfall is caused by both tropical cyclones and extratropical Western Disturbances, influencing different seasons in coastal regions and North India.
• Northeast Monsoon brings rainfall primarily to Tamil Nadu, but also affects Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, and parts of Kerala, influencing India’s post-monsoon climate.

Important Points

• Convectional Rainfall – Occurs due to intense solar heating, creating local thunderstorms during pre-monsoon and summer months.
• Orographic Rainfall – Causes extreme rainfall in places like Mawsynram & Cherrapunji, while leeward regions (e.g., Pune, Bengaluru) remain dry.
• Cyclonic Rainfall – India experiences two types:
• Tropical cyclones (June–November) in the Bay of Bengal & Arabian Sea cause heavy rain in coastal states.
• Western Disturbances (December–February) bring winter rain to Punjab, Haryana, and Kashmir, crucial for Rabi crop cultivation.
•  Northeast Monsoon – Occurs from October to December, giving Tamil Nadu over 50% of its annual rainfall, while also affecting parts of Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, and Odisha.

Additional Information

• Orographic rainfall is the reason why Mumbai (on the windward side) receives more rainfall than Pune (on the leeward side).
• Cyclonic rainfall is not limited to tropical storms—it plays a role in winter precipitation over North India, aiding wheat and mustard crops.
• Tamil Nadu's rainfall dependency on the northeast monsoon makes it different from most of India, which relies on the southwest monsoon (June–September).
• Climate change is affecting precipitation patterns in India, causing unpredictable monsoon behavior, increased cyclone intensity, and shifting rainfall zones.

The correct answer is Khasi hills.Key Points

• Mawsynram is located approximately 16 kilometers west of Cherrapunji, another location famous for high rainfall. However, Mawsynram receives a higher annual average rainfall, making it the wettest place on Earth.
• The Khasi Hills form part of the Meghalaya subtropical forests eco-region. Together with the Garo and Jaintia Hills, these form the state of Meghalaya, meaning "abode of the clouds" in Sanskrit.
• Khasi Hills and Mawsynram's high rainfall can be attributed to a phenomenon called "orographic lift". As air from the Bay of Bengal moves over the area, it's forced to rise due to the high elevations. The air cools and condenses, forming clouds and resulting in heavy rainfall.
• Mawsynram is noted for its "living bridges", formed by guiding the roots of rubber fig trees across rivers and streams, serving the local population's traversal needs.
• The Khasi Hills are also known for unique biodiversity. The region is home to numerous endemic species of flora and fauna.
• The Khasi Hills region features a matrilineal social system, which is quite unique in the context of India's predominately patrilineal society. This means descent and ancestry are traced through the female lineage.
• The Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC) governs the Khasi Hills. This special provision, under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution of India, allows for the preservation of tribal autonomy in matters of culture and traditional practices.
• Mawsynram's wet climate has resulted in a primarily grassland-type ecosystem, with large patches of remnant sacred grove forests which are protected by traditional tribal laws.
• The average annual rainfall at Mawsynram is about 11,871 millimeters (467.4 in), compared to Cherrapunji's 11,777 millimeters (463.7 in)

The correct answer is Equatorial Region.

Key Points

• Convectional rainfall occurs when the energy of the sun heats the Earth, causing water to evaporate to form water vapour.
• Convectional rainfall is prevalent in equatorial regions.
• In these, the warm air rises up and expands then, reaches a cooler layer and saturates, then condenses mainly in the form of cumulus or cumulonimbus clouds.
• In the equatorial regions, the precipitation due to convectional rainfall occurs in the afternoon.

Important Points

• Convectional Rainfall:
  • When the land heats up, it warms the air above it.
  • This causes the air to expand and rise.
  • After the air rises, it cools and condenses.
  • This process of condensation forms clouds high in the atmosphere.
  • Which results in rainfall.

The Correct Answer is Option 4 i.e Mawsynram. 

• Mawsynram, Meghalaya:
  • Mawsynram receives nearly 10,000 millimeters of rain in an average year.
  • Mawsynram is located in the East Khasi Hills district of Meghalaya.
  • It is on the windward side of the hills and is surrounded by hills on three sides.
  • It receives rain from southwest monsoon winds (Bay of Bengal branch), as the winds cannot move further striking the hills and due to condensation receives heavy rainfall.
  • It is also referred to as the rainiest place in the world.
• Anamudi:
  • It is located in the Indian state of Kerala.
  • It is the highest peak (2,695 meters) in South India and the Western Ghats.
• Thekkady:
  • It is located near to Periyar tiger reserve, in the district of Idukki, Kerala.
• Drass valley:
  • It is located in the Kargil district of Ladakh.
  • It is often called the gateway of Ladakh.

The correct option is 1 i.e., ​the Terai region.

• ​The Terai region of Uttar Pradesh receives maximum rainfall.
• ​Terai region receives these advantages due to the foothills of the Himalayas.
• The Tarai districts of Uttar Pradesh are typically a narrow tract of the vast Gangetic plain.
• The term Tarai signifies a moist land or low marshy area.
• The thin strip of land running from Saharanpur in the west to Deoria in the east is known as Bhabhar and Terai.
• Terai area is composed of fine alluvium primarily sand, clay, silt, and gravel.

The correct answer is seven.

Key Points

• El Nino refers to the unusual warming of the central and east-central equatorial Pacific Ocean which affects global weather.
• The warmer waters of the Pacific Ocean cause the winds in various regions to reverse, like the trade winds that come towards India.
• It is a complex weather system that appears once every three to seven years, bringing drought, floods, and other weather extremes to different parts of the world.
• Over India, the El Nino has usually been the harbinger of drought and the La Nina of rain.​

Additional Information

• There is also an opposite of an El Nino, called La Nina means The Little Girl in Spanish.
• This refers to times when the waters of the tropical eastern Pacific are colder than normal and trade winds blow more strongly than usual.
• Collectively, El Nino and La Nina are parts of an oscillation in the ocean-atmosphere system called the El Nino-Southern Oscillation, or ENSO cycle. 

The correct answer is the rain shadow effect.

Key Points

• A rain shadow effect is a patch of land that has been forced to become a desert because mountain ranges blocked all plant-growing, rainy weather.
• On one side of the mountain, wet weather systems drop rain and snow.
• On the other side of the mountain, the rain shadow side all the precipitation is blocked.
• In a rain shadow, it is warm and dry.
• It is a dry side of a mountain opposite to the wind, it is called the leeward side.
• A rain shadow forms when moist winds head towards a set of mountains and get forced upwards by them.
• This moist air often comes from the sea or from another large body of water.
• The Deccan of the Western Ghats in India receives less rainfall than the coasts.
• As the summer (wet) monsoons approach the West Coast of India, they rise up the Western Ghats and the air cools.
• By the time the winds make it over the Western Ghats, they have lost most of their moisture and very little falls on the Deccan plateau to the east of the Ghats.
• This reduced rainfall on the leeward side of the mountains is called a rain shadow effect.

Thus, we can say that Deccan of the Western Ghats is drier because of the rain shadow effect.

The correct answer is Western disturbances.

• Winter rainfall 'Mawat' occurs through western disturbances.

Key Points

• This is the period from mid-December to February.
  • During this period a high-pressure region develops in north-western India due to southward movements of the sun.
  • The Average Temperature Of This Region Is About 10^oC, Where As during the same period the temperature in south India remains at around 25c.
  • The wind blows from north-west to east and the N-E trade winds cause rainfall in the region of eastern coastal.
  • During this period the rainfall was received from the Mediterranean western disturbances.
    • These are the temperate cyclones that are brought to India through Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, and Pakistan by westerly jet streams. as they move towards the east they cause little rainfall.
  • In Punjab, they yield 25 cm of rainfall whereas in western Uttar Pradesh they yield only 4cm of rainfall.
  • This rainfall is called Mawat in Rajasthan, It also helps the apple plantation in Himachal Pradesh.

The correct answer is Amazon Basin.

• The easternmost coasts of latitudes from 35 ° to 40 ° north and south of the equator receive the highest rainfall.

Key Points

• The Amazon basin is in the equatorial region. Hence, it receives the highest annual rainfall.
• The average annual rainfall here is 200 cm.
• The coastal areas of the continents have moderate amounts of rainfall.
• The rainfall is 50 to 100 cm in the central part of the tropical region and in the eastern and interior parts of temperate regions.

The correct answer is option 3.

Key Points

• Cirrus clouds
  • Formed at high altitudes (8,000 - 12,000m). 
  • They are thin and detached clouds having a feathery appearance.
  • They are always white in color.
  • Cirrus clouds are delicate, feathery clouds that are made mostly of ice crystals.
  • Their wispy shape comes from wind currents which twist and spread the ice crystals into strands.
• Cumulus
  • ​Formed at a height of 4,000 - 7,000 m.
  • They can appear as low as 300ft above the ground.
  • They exist in patches and can be seen scattered here and there.
  • These clouds look like fluffy, white cotton balls in the sky. They have a flat base. 
• Nimbostratus
  • Nimbus is known as a rainstorm within the Latin language.
  • Low-level Clouds, resulting from thickening Altostratus.
  • These are dark, gray clouds that seem to fade into falling rain or snow.
  • They are so thick that they often blot out the sunlight.
• Stratus
  • These are low Clouds (less than 6,500 feet).
  • These are layered clouds covering large portions of the sky. 
  • Stratus clouds often look like thin, white sheets covering the whole sky. Since they are so thin, they seldom produce much rain or snow.
  • Sometimes, in the mountains or hills, these clouds appear to be fog.

​​Hence, the correct answer is option 3.