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Climate
The climate of the state is tropical monsoon, but variations exist because
of difference in altitudes. The Himalayan region is cold. The average
temperature varies in the plains from 3-4oC in January to 43-45oC
in May and June. There are three distinct seasons - the cold season from
October to February, Summer from March to Mid June and the rainy season
from March to September. The Himalayan region has about 100-200cm
of rain fall. The rain fall in the plains is heaviest in the east and
decreases to wards the north-east. Floods are a recurring problem of the
state, causing damage to crops, life and property. There are occasional
cloud-bursts adding to the misery of the people. The worst floods were
in 1971, when 51 of the 54 districts of the state were affected and the
area involved was nearly 52 lakh hectares. The eastern districts are the
most vulnerable to floods, the western districts slightly less and the
central region markedly less. The eastern districts proneness to floods
is ascribed, among other things, to heavy rainfall, low flat country,
high subsoil water level and the silting of beds which causes river levels
to rise. The problem in the western districts is mainly poor drainage
caused by the obstruction of roads, railways, canals, new built-up areas
etc. There is water logging in the large areas. The major flood-prone
rivers are the Ganga, Jamuna, Gomati, Ghaghra, Rapti, Sarda and Ramganga.
The inadequate drainage capacity of the smaller western Sirsa, Kali and
the Aligarh drain is also a cause of floods.
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