Why do coastal areas record minimum variation in the temperature of winter and summer and eastern coast of India receives most of its rainfall in winter?
The coastal areas do not experience much variation in temperature between summer and winter months because they are influenced by the moderating effect of the sea. This is because of the moderating influence of the adjoining water bodies. The land and sea breezes moderate the temperatures. Due to the geographical location, the east coast receives rainfall as the north east trade winds blow from sea to land in this location. Hence the coast of Tamil Nadu receives winter rainfall.
Because seas (bodies of water) retain heat and regulate the temperature of the surrounding air.
Winter is the season in which the eastern coast receives rainfall. Kerela and Tamil Nadu are the parts of India which receive winter rainfall because these are the coastal regions found in the South which is affected by Western disturbances. Due to the geographical location, the east coast receives rainfall as the north east trade winds blow from sea to land in this location. Hence the coast of Tamil Nadu receives winter rainfall. The northern coast and the southern tip of Africa come under the Mediterranean Climatic region. This region includes Morocco, Northern Algeria, and Cape Province. It is hot and dry in summer and wet in winter. This is the only climatic region which gets rain only in winter. During the winter season, north-east trade winds prevail over India. They blow from land to sea and hence, for most part of the country, it is a dry season. These cause winter rains over the plains and snowfall in the mountains. The coastal areas do not experience much variation in temperature between summer and winter months because they are influenced by the moderating effect of the sea. Coastal areas experience less contrasts in temperature conditions due to moderating effect of the seas. The large water bodies helps in moderating temperature. Water has a higher heat capacity than soil and rock, so the ocean takes much longer to heat and to cool than the land. The specific heat capacity of water is very high. It is about five times that of sand. Hence, temperature change is much less in water than that of land. As such, sand gets heated or cooled more rapidly as compared to water under the similar conditions. Thus a large difference in temperature is developed between the land and the sea due to which land and sea breezes are formed. These breezes make the climate near the sea shore moderate. As such, sand gets heated or cooled more rapidly as compared to water under the similar conditions. Thus a large difference in temperature is developed between the land and the sea due to which land and sea breezes are formed. These breezes make the climate near the sea shore moderate. The ocean warms and cools more slowly than the atmosphere, thus coastal weather tends to be more moderate than continental weather, with fewer hot and cold extremes.
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