1874.] Winds of Northern India. 211 



and southerly, south-westerly, and north-westerly winds predominate 

 the two former in the rainy months, the last in the cold and hot dry 

 season. In the coldest months the wind veers towards the north, and 

 occasionally passes a little to the east of north. 



2. The Gangetic Plain. The great chain of the Himalaya, which skirts 

 the northern edge of this region, the elevation of which is between 150 

 feet above sea-level on the east and 900 feet on the west, determines in a 

 great measure the direction of its prevailing winds ; and those from the 

 north- w r est and south-east much exceed those from other quarters. In 

 the western part of the plain the north-westerly winds somewhat exceed 

 the easterly. In the eastern part the converse holds good. The change 

 from the westerly to the easterly direction accompanies the change from 

 the hot and dry season to the rains, and from easterly to westerly that 

 from the rains to the cold season. In the districts more remote from the 

 mountains the tendency to a westerly direction increases, and occasional 

 south-west winds blow, apparently caused by incursions from the Arabian 

 Sea. During the hot months, and during the day, the westerly winds 

 blow with great force, falling at night ; calms are a characteristic of the 

 nights, and prevail most in the colder months. As the hot season advances 

 the easterly winds become more frequent, and attain their maximum in 

 July, when the rain becomes general. The winds veer from the west 

 through the north to east and south-east, the opposite change being more 

 abrupt, and at one place of observation apparently retrograde. 



3. Plateau of Raj-pootana. This region is somewhat elevated above the 

 Gangetic plain, varying from. 800 or 900 feet to 1800 feet above the sea- 

 level. Winds from the west and south-west greatly exceed those from 

 other quarters in the southern districts, commencing as early as February 

 and continuing till November, when they are replaced by northerly and 

 north-easterly winds. The north-east winds are comparatively weak and 

 unsteady, and interrupted by calms. A similarity to the winds of the 

 Southern Punjab may be observed. The northern part of the plateau of 

 E-ajpootana partakes more of the character of the Gangetic plain in its 

 winds, the winds of the hot season being chiefly westerly and north- 

 westerly ; but the rainy season is accompanied by south-westerly winds, 

 and not by easterly winds as in the Gangetic plain; and easterly winds 

 are always rare. 



4. Central India. This region is on an average somewhat less elevated 

 than that last referred to ; it is traversed by the high land known as the 

 Satpoora range, and is otherwise considerably broken up into valley and 

 mountain, so that the winds are more influenced by merely local con- 

 ditions than in the less hilly regions before noticed. "Westerly winds on 

 the whole prevail. In the hot months westerly and north-westerly 

 winds predominate. Local inroads of south-westerly winds occur during 

 the rainy months on the north of the Satpoora range, and less strongly 

 on the south of the range ; as the rainy season ceases the winds veer 



