The entire coast and the greater part of the surface of the southern portion of the peninsula have a warm, equable climate with a considerable rainfall. Portions of Haidrababad and Mysore, in the plateau of the Deccan, approach continental conditions, being somewhat dry and arid, and occasionally visited by droughts, but the climate of the greater part of the country is profoundly influenced by its proximity to the great oceans that wash its coasts. In this inland plateau the distribution of the rainfall has the further peculiarity of being much later than elsewhere, the rainiest month in Mysore being not July, as in most other localities throughout India, but November: this corresponds to the second rainy season, the first rainy season being represented by a somewhat smaller maximum in August. There is no very marked difference between the climates of the eastern and western coasts, though as will be seen on comparing the figures for Chochin and Madras in the subjoined table, the monthly rainfall is somewhat differently distributed. COLOMBO. LAT. 6° 50′ N.; LONG. 80° 0′ E. OBSERVATORY A FEW FEET ABOVE SEA-LEVEL. =========+===========+===========+======+============== Month | Mean | Mean | Rela-| Rainfall | Monthly | Monthly | tive | | Maxima | Minima |Humid-| +----+------+----+------+ ity +-----+-------- | F. | ~C.~ | F. | ~C.~ | | Ins.| ~Mm.~ ---------+----+------+----+------+------+-----+-------- January |89·8|~32·1~|72·6|~22·6~| 80 | 3·72| ~94·6~ February |91·9|~33·2~|74·4|~23·5~| 75 | 0·63| ~16·0~ March |94·0|34·4~ |75·7|~24·3~| 73 | 3·71| ~94·1~ April |90·0|~33·2~|76·2|~24·5~| 83 | 9·73|~247·5~ May |89·8|~32·1~|78·7|~25·9~| 86 |16·0 |~406·4~ June |87·4|~30·7~|78·5|~25·8~| 84 | 7·83|~199·3~ July |86·3|~30·2~|76·5|~24·7~| 84 | 6·77|~171·5~ August |87·2|~30·7~|77·3|~25·2~| 83 | 7·35|~186·7~ September|86·9|~30·5~|76·5|~24·7~| 83 | 4·00|~101·6~ October |89·1|~31·8~|75·4|~24·1~| 82 | 9·47|~241·0~ November |88·4|~31·3~|74·3|~23·4~| 80 | 9·25|~234·9~ December |85·5|~29·7~|73·1|~22·9~| 82 | 5·20|~132·1~ =========+====+======+====+======+======+=====+======== These climatic conditions are naturally found in their most typical form on the island of Ceylon, the climatic data of which are epitomised in the above table for the capital of the island, Colombo, which is situated on the western coast. The total rainfall is about 88 ins. (2,237 mm.), and the mean annual temperature 80° F. (26·7 C.).