Climate, Soils & Vegetation
Rajasthan's climate is dominated by one fact: the Aravallis run parallel to the monsoon winds instead of across them, so they fail to force the Arabian Sea branch to shed its rain. That single accident of orientation is why the west is desert and the south-east is comparatively wet.
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1/3How much rain does Jhalawar, the wettest district, receive?
90cm
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Climatic regions
Rainfall falls sharply from south-east to north-west — from over 100 cm in Jhalawar to under 10 cm in Jaisalmer.
| Region | Rainfall | Districts |
|---|---|---|
| Arid | Below 20 cm | Jaisalmer, Barmer, Bikaner |
| Semi-arid | 20–40 cm | Churu, Nagaur, Jodhpur, Pali |
| Sub-humid | 40–60 cm | Jaipur, Ajmer, Tonk, Bharatpur |
| Humid | 60–100+ cm | Jhalawar, Banswara, Kota, Dungarpur |
Why the west stays dry
Three reasons combine, and the exam asks about the first one most often:
Seasons
- Summer (March–June) — very high temperatures; Phalodi (Jodhpur) and Barmer regularly record the state's highest. The hot dry wind is the loo.
- Monsoon (July–September) — about 90% of annual rainfall; the south-east gets far more than the west.
- Winter (November–February) — cold, dry; Mount Abu and Fatehpur (Sikar) record the lowest temperatures. Light winter rain from western disturbances is called mawath, and it is valuable for the rabi crop.
Soils of Rajasthan
Vegetation
Forest covers roughly 9–10% of Rajasthan — well below the national average.
- Tropical thorn forest — the desert west; khejri, babool, ker.
- Tropical dry deciduous — Aravalli slopes and the south-east; dhok, salar.
- Dhok is the most widely distributed tree in the state.
- Khejri (Prosopis cineraria) is the state tree, called the "kalp vriksha of the desert"; Rohida is the state flower.
Exam tip: Highest rainfall = Jhalawar; lowest = Jaisalmer. Highest temperature = Phalodi; lowest = Mount Abu. Winter rain = mawath; hot summer wind = loo. State tree = Khejri.