| Climate |
| The climate at the basin level generally remains dry except for monsoon months. There is a considerable variation in the mean daily maximum and minimum temperatures across the catchment. The mean daily maximum temperature ranges from 19.5 to 33.7O C, whereas the mean daily minimum varies from 9.1 to 25.2O C. Maximum temperature in the western areas, having high relief, such as Mercara is in the month of March (28.5 OC). Wind in the area is linked with the monsoons and so mainly blows from the directions between the south-west and north-west during the south-west monsoons. Clouds are also associated with the monsoon activity with the skies being generally overcast during the monsoons.
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| Humidity: |
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| Summer weather being dry, the humidity is low. The relative humidity in the basin ranges from 49 to 86. The mean relative humidity is high during the monsoon period and comparatively low during the post monsoon period. The far north western part of the drainage basin has a humid climate which passes eastwards into humid, moist sub-humid, dry sub-humid and semiarid zones. Nearer to the sea, relative humidity increases again. |
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| Mercara |
81 |
| Hassan |
69 |
| Mysore |
64 |
| Coonoor |
64 |
| Coimbatore |
64 |
| Salem |
62 |
| Trichy |
61 |
| Nagapattinam |
72 |
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| Source : (CPCB, 1995) based on IMD data |
