There are three changes in climate. It is hot from June to September but it may also at times be cold due to the rains. Temperature during this season reaches 40 to 45 degree Celsius. The monsoon generally starts in the 2nd week of June and continues up to the end of the September. The range of monsoon is between 458 mm and 814 mm. From October to February the climate is cold and dry. Cold waves occur at times between November and January. In general, the climate is pleasant. Most of the land of the district is full of rocks and thin layers of soil except Georai and Majalgaon where the land consists of rich fertile black cotton soil. On the banks of the Sindaphana River and in some parts of Ashti, Beed, Kaij and Ambajogai there are a few strips of black rich land but in Patoda, the total land is rocky and thin-layered. Most of the land in the district is like this. Except in the river belts of Godavari and Sindaphana, there is scarcely any rich fertile soil in the district. River Godavariis the most important river in the district. Other rivers in the district are Sindaphana, Manjara, Bandsura and Van. The other minor streams are Talwar, Kambli, Ruti and Mehkari. Most of these rivers are dry in summer. They flow in summer only if rain is adequate or more than enough. The main business in the district is agriculture but adequate and timely rains rarely occur, consequently there is at times a scarcity period as most of the agriculture depends on the rain. Two harvests Kharif and Rabi are adopted. In Kharif, the crops are high-bred, and include jowar, bajra, tur, udad, cotton and groundnut while in Rabi the crops are jowar, wheat, harbara, kardai etc. In the annual pattern, main crops are sunflower and summer groundnuts. Fruits and vegetables are grown as per water resources. The commercial crops are sugarcane and cotton and as the number of sugar factories increases, there is more sugarcane. |