Which one of the following States receives rainfall from both the Arabian Sea branch and the Bay of Bengal branch of Monsoon ?

The correct answer is Punjab.

Key Points

• The southwest monsoon arrives in two branches called the Bay of Bengal branch and the Arabian Sea branch.
• The Arabian Sea side monsoon creates a low-pressure area on the Thar Desert.
• It is quite stronger than the Bay of Bengal side monsoon.
• The Arabian Sea Branch of the Southwest Monsoon first hits the Western Ghats of the coastal state of Kerala, India, thus making this area the first state in India to receive rain from the Southwest Monsoon.
• During the South-West Monsoon, Tamil Nadu remains dry because it is located in a rain shadow area.
• The advance of the monsoon is much faster in the Bay of Bengal than in the Arabian Sea.
• Punjab-Haryana plains are almost equidistant from both the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal. Further, direction of both branches of the monsoon winds is oriented towards the Punjab, Haryana plain and this area receives rainfall both from the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea monsoons. Hence, Option 1 is correct.
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