The Himalayas play a role in all of the following:
- Blocking cold northerly winds: The Himalayas act as a barrier to cold air from the north, which helps to keep the Indian subcontinent warm.
- Bringing monsoon rains: The Himalayas help to create the monsoon rains by lifting moisture-laden air from the Bay of Bengal.
- Creating a rain shadow effect: The Himalayas also create a rain shadow effect, which means that the areas on the leeward side of the mountains receive less rainfall than the areas on the windward side.
The Himalayas are a mountain range that runs along the northern border of India and Nepal. They are the highest mountain range in the world, and they play a major role in the climate of the Indian subcontinent.
The Himalayas block cold northerly winds from reaching the Indian subcontinent. This helps to keep the Indian subcontinent warm, even though it is located at a relatively low latitude. The Himalayas also help to create the monsoon rains. The monsoon rains are caused by the difference in temperature between the land and the ocean. During the summer, the land heats up faster than the ocean. This causes the air over the land to rise, and the moisture-laden air from the Bay of Bengal is drawn in to replace it. This process of rising air and moisture-laden air being drawn in creates the monsoon rains.
The Himalayas also create a rain shadow effect. The rain shadow effect is caused by the way that mountains block the flow of air. When air flows over a mountain, it is forced to rise. As the air rises, it cools and the moisture in the air condenses and falls as rain. The air on the leeward side of the mountain is therefore drier than the air on the windward side. This is why the areas on the leeward side of the Himalayas, such as the Thar Desert in India, are much drier than the areas on the windward side, such as the Ganges River basin.