India being a vast country does not fit into any one zone. Situated roughly between 8° N and 37° N Latitude, it occupies a large area of South Asia. It can be divided mainly into four climatic zones namely Alpine, Subtropical, Tropical and Arid.  

Alpine Zone: This climate zone can be experienced in the high altitudes of Himalayas. In this region there are high climatic fluctuations due to steep altitude variations. Different types of climatic zones can be seen in this region. If subtropical climate occurs on the foothlls, there is Alpine Tundra Zone to greet you on the higher altitudes.

Sub Tropical: This zone is prevalent in most of the northern part of India. It can be called as the typical Indian climate. Summers are hot and wet while in winter temperature may drop down to freezing point in higher ranges. Rainfall is common in summer season whereas winters are cold and dry.

Tropical: It can be divided into two sub types viz, Tropical Wet Monsoon and Tropical Dry. The characteristics of Tropical Wet Monsoon include average temperature, which normally does not fall below 18 �C, accompanied by average to high rainfall. In Tropical Dry type rainfall is not so common.

Arid: High temperature and low rainfall are marked features of this climatic zone. It is prevalent in western part of the country and includes large part of Rajasthan. The temperature in this zone may shoot up to as high as 50 �C in summer.

Though divided into different climatic zones, India seems to be unified by primarily four seasons- Winter, Summer, Advancing Monsoon and Retreating Monsoon. 
 
Winter: December to February is the wintertime in almost all of India. At this time of the year, days are cold with average temperature of10-15 �C, but it can drop down to below 0 �C in some higher ranges of northern India. Normally winters are dry in northern India. In Southern part, the temperature difference is not so marked due to moderating effect of Indian Ocean, Bay of Bengal and Arabian Sea. 
 
Summer: March, April, May and June are the summer months in India. It is a time period when rays of the sun fall vertically on Indian subcontinent. The average temperature is around 32 c but in western region the maximum temperature can be far above the average. Hot wind, known, as 'Loo' is the marked feature of summers in northern India. 
 
Advancing Monsoon: It is the time period when India gets major part of its share of rain. Months of June, July, August and September form the core of Advancing Monsoon in almost all parts of country. The monsoon approaches with moisture laden winds, this sudden approach is marked with violent thunderstorms and lightening, known as 'break' of the monsoon. 
 
Retreating Monsoon: This season starts, when monsoon after drenching all of India, begins to retreat. With the month of September, rainfall began to decrease and as we approach November, the monsoon is completely gone from major part of India, except for Tamil Nadu and some other southern states, which also receive rain from Western Disturbance.