How do the Western Ghats affect Maharashtra’s rainfall?

The Western Ghats act as a critical climatic barrier in Maharashtra, profoundly influencing the state's rainfall through orographic precipitation.

As moisture-laden winds from the Arabian Sea during the southwest monsoon strike the steep western slopes of the mountains, the air is forced upward. This ascent causes the air to cool and lose its moisture-bearing capacity, resulting in extremely heavy rainfall along the narrow Konkan coast and the windward side of the range, where annual precipitation can exceed 100 inches (2,540 mm).123

Conversely, as these winds descend on the leeward side of the mountains, the air warms and its moisture-bearing capacity increases. This creates a rain shadow effect, leading to significantly drier conditions in the interior upland, known as the Desh. In this region, rainfall diminishes rapidly to about one-fifth of the amount received on the coast.23