In this guide
In May, the afternoon loo — a hot, dry westerly wind — sweeps across the plains of Uttar Pradesh, and temperatures in places like Banda, Jhansi and Prayagraj can exceed 45 °C. In January, thick fog blankets the same plains, delaying trains and flights. And between them, the monsoon brings the rain that decides whether the kharif crop succeeds. Climate and soil are the two natural foundations of UP's agriculture.
Climate type
UP has a humid subtropical monsoon climate, with continental characteristics (hot summers, cool winters) because it is far from the sea.
| Season | Months (approx.) | Features |
|---|---|---|
| Summer | March – mid-June | Very hot; the loo; dust storms; pre-monsoon thunderstorms |
| Monsoon | Mid-June – September | Most of the annual rainfall |
| Post-monsoon | October – November | Pleasant; dry |
| Winter | December – February | Cold; fog; cold waves; light rain from western disturbances |
Rainfall
- The south-west monsoon (Bay of Bengal branch) enters UP from the east.
- Rainfall therefore decreases from east to west and from the north (Terai) to the south-west.
- The Terai and eastern UP receive the most rain; western UP and parts of Bundelkhand receive the least.
- Average annual rainfall across the state is roughly 800–1,000 mm, with wide variation.
Extreme weather
| Hazard | Details |
|---|---|
| Heatwaves | Common in May–June, especially in Bundelkhand and south-central UP |
| Cold waves and fog | December–January; health and transport impacts |
| Floods | Eastern UP and the Terai (see our guide on disasters) |
| Drought | Bundelkhand; deficient monsoon years elsewhere |
| Lightning | Significant deaths every monsoon |
| Dust storms | Pre-monsoon; the storms of May 2018 caused many deaths |
Soils of UP
The Ganga plain
| Soil | Where | Features | Crops |
|---|---|---|---|
| Khadar (new alluvium) | Flood plains near rivers | Light, fertile, renewed annually | Rice, vegetables, sugarcane |
| Bhangar (old alluvium) | Higher ground | More clayey; kankar nodules; less fertile than khadar | Wheat, sugarcane, pulses |
| Terai soils | Northern belt | Fine, moist, rich in organic matter | Rice, sugarcane, wheat |
Bundelkhand soils
Bundelkhand has distinctive local soil names:
| Soil | Features |
|---|---|
| Rakar | Red, gravelly, eroded; poor |
| Parwa | Light, sandy loam |
| Mar | Black, clayey (like regur); fertile but hard to work |
| Kabar | Black, heavy clay; cracks when dry |
Vindhyan uplands
- Red and yellow soils in Mirzapur and Sonbhadra — thin and less fertile.
Usar: the problem of saline–alkaline soils
- Large patches of usar (saline and alkaline / sodic) land exist in central and western UP — for example, in districts such as Unnao, Rae Bareli, Pratapgarh, Etah, Mainpuri and Kanpur Dehat.
- Causes: poor drainage, high water tables, canal seepage, evaporation leaving salts, and some natural factors.
- Reclamation: applying gypsum, leaching salts, drainage, salt-tolerant crops, green manuring. UP's usar reclamation programmes (including a World Bank-supported sodic lands reclamation project) reclaimed large areas.
Other soil problems
| Problem | Where |
|---|---|
| Soil erosion and ravines | Along the Chambal and Yamuna (the Chambal ravines), Bundelkhand |
| Waterlogging | Canal command areas; Terai |
| Nutrient deficiency | Intensive cropping; zinc deficiency |
| Declining organic carbon | Heavy use of chemical fertilisers |
Implications for agriculture
- The khadar and Doab support intensive wheat–rice–sugarcane systems.
- Bundelkhand needs drought-tolerant crops (pulses, oilseeds, millets) and water conservation.
- Usar land can be made productive with reclamation.
- Rising heat threatens wheat yields at grain-filling time — a climate-change concern.
Practice
Prelims-style:
- From which direction does the monsoon enter UP?
- Which part of UP receives the least rainfall?
- Name the four soil types of Bundelkhand.
- What is usar land, and how is it reclaimed?
- What is the loo?
Mains-style:
- "UP's climate and soils create both abundance and vulnerability." Discuss.
- Examine the causes of soil degradation in Uttar Pradesh and suggest remedies.
A note on dates and numbers. Exam patterns, vacancies and schedules change from year to year. Always confirm the current details in the latest notification on the Uttar Pradesh Public Service Commission website .
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