The average annual temperature of a meteorological station is 26°C, its average annual rainfall is 63 cm and the annual range of temperature is 9°C. The station in question is

Answer: (b) Chennai

Chennai: warm all year (~28°C), a small range because of the sea, and moderate rain mostly from the north-east monsoon.

The idea

The annual temperature range is the difference between the warmest and coldest monthly mean temperatures. The sea reduces this range because water heats and cools slowly. A warm station with a small range suggests a low-latitude coastal setting, but every rainfall figure must also fit before the station can be identified confidently.

Why the others are wrong

(a) Allahabad is inland — its annual range of temperature is well above 15°C.

(c) Cherrapunji gets over 1,000 cm of rain and is much cooler.

(d) Kolkata gets about 160 cm of rain.

The trap

The small annual range (9°C) points to a coastal station; the low rainfall rules out Kolkata.

Elimination technique

The small annual range weakens the inland Allahabad choice, while the low rainfall rules out very wet Cherrapunji. These clues narrow the list, but do not by themselves settle the Chennai–Kolkata comparison.

Also know

Daily temperature range compares day and night, while annual range compares seasons. Prayagraj is inland and has a stronger seasonal temperature contrast than a tropical coast. Cherrapunji is an elevated, extremely wet hill station; Chennai’s rain is concentrated towards the end of the year.