Orissa Climate

The climate of Orissa, an east Indian state that hugs the coast of the Bay of Bengal is represented by a tropical monsoon weather. Searing hot summers with considerably high monsoon downpours and cool and pleasant winters mark the Orissa climate.

The climate of Orissa is distinctly related to the geography of Orissa. Broadly speaking the weather of Orissa can be classified under three heads namely, summer, monsoon and winter. The state is also endowed with relatively short stints of the refreshing spring and the mellow autumn.

The scorching heat of the Orissa summer makes the mercury soars to unbearable heights. However, Monsoon soon creeps in to offer a welcome break. During monsoon, the cumulonimbus clouds unfold with driving rains that wash the terrains and unfold a rich blue sky. The average rainfall recorded by the state's meteorological department is 200 cm of rainfall. By early June, the southwest monsoon announces its arrival in the state and departs by the middle of October. The rains also play a pivotal role in agriculture, the principal source of livelihood of the populace of Orissa.

Orissa, being a coastal state is also subjected to the strong cyclonic gales and winds that hail from the Bay of Bengal. Consequently, voluminous rains drench the coastal terrains every year during the peak months of July-August followed by another spell in October-November. Winters are pleasant and more or less dry, save a little rainfall of about 2.5 cm to 5 cm in the northern fringes of Orissa.