With reference to the climate of Andaman and Nicobar Islands, which of the following statements is/are correct?

Answer: (b) 1 and 2

Humid tropical ✓ and rain from both monsoons ✓. The wet season is May–December, not December–May.

Statement by statement

1. ✓ CORRECT Close to the equator and surrounded by sea: hot, humid and even — roughly 23–31 °C all year.

2. ✓ CORRECT The south-west monsoon (May–September) and the north-east / retreating monsoon (October–December) both bring rain — about 3,000 mm a year.

3. ✗ WRONG — that is the dry season January–April are the driest months. The heavy rain falls from May to December.

The idea

A maritime climate is shaped by the surrounding sea, which heats and cools slowly. Tropical islands therefore stay warm with a small yearly temperature range. Rain depends on when moist winds reach the islands, so a tropical location does not mean equally heavy rain in every month.

Warm surrounding sea → Water evaporates → Seasonal winds carry moist air → Air rises over islands or in weather systems → Clouds form → Rain extends across both monsoon seasons

Why the others are wrong

(a) Misses the two-monsoon rain, which is exactly what makes the islands so wet.

(c) Statement 3 flips the calendar.

(d) Believes the rain peaks in winter because the islands also get the north-east monsoon. January–April are actually the driest months.

The trap

Because the islands get the north-east monsoon too, “December to May” sounds possible. But January–April are dry — the rain peaks in the south-west monsoon months.

Also know

Lakshadweep lies in the Arabian Sea and receives mainly south-west monsoon rain. The Andaman and Nicobar chain lies in the Bay of Bengal; the Ten Degree Channel separates its two island groups. The Nine Degree Channel separates Minicoy from the main Lakshadweep group, while the Eight Degree Channel separates Minicoy from the Maldives.