There will be more rain in September, says IMD
Despite heavy rains during the second half of August, which caused floods across Bihar, Assam and Gujarat, and also in Bengaluru and Mumbai, the country-wide rainfall figures at the end of the month was deficient by 4 per cent, according to the India Meteorology Department (IMD).
This was the first month in this monsoon season to receive deficient rainfall. Rainfall was 4 per cent more than normal in June and 1.7 per cent more in July. The monsoon, which entered a weak phase in the beginning of the month, took a good three weeks to revive over central and south peninsular India, leaving more than half of the mainland deprived.
July and August, the rainiest months of the season, together account for nearly 70 per cent of monsoon rainfall, and are crucial to the rain-fed agricultural areas. Rainfall deficiency in these months can severely affect sowing of crops, something that is being witnessed in large parts of Vidarbha and Marathwada in Maharashtra, besides south interior Karnataka, most of Uttar Pradesh, MP and Haryana.
August did not bring much rain to Delhi and Uttar Pradesh as well. The national capital, which had 24 per cent deficiency at the end of July, now has received 37 per cent less rainfall than normal this season. Similarly, rainfall deficit in Uttar Pradesh slipped from 11 per cent in July to 26 per cent as monsoon completed three months. “In comparison to June and July, August has ended on the negative side, but at 90 per cent of the Long Period Average for the country, it is close to what was predicted for this year so far,” said, D S Pai, head, climate prediction, at climate research division of IMD.
While the monsoon is expected to take a break in the coming week to ten days over central and western India, Pai assured that there were more rains in store. “The monsoon will, in the coming days, remain active over Himalayan foothills and there will be more rain in September too,” he said. What has been noted by Met officials all through this season is that the Arabian Sea has largely remained inactive, leaving Kerala and south interior Karnataka rain-deficient.
“Most systems, which originated from the Bay of Bengal, would weaken by the time it would reach, say Vidarbha, Marathwada and some parts in central India. Also, there was little support in the form of moisture incursion provided by the Arabia Sea which affected Kerala and parts of south interior Karnataka,” explained A K Srivastava, head of climate monitoring and analysis group, IMD, Pune.
