An IMD official from Pune said, the conditions do not look favourable for monsoon withdrawal and it cannot be expected for at least another week, (AP Photo/Anupam Nath)
The withdrawal of southwest monsoon this year is at least another week away, officials at the India Meteorological Department (IMD) have said.
Under normal conditions, the withdrawal of monsoon, which commences from parts of west Rajasthan, is expected to take place anytime after September 1. Among the atmospheric conditions required for announcing the monsoon withdrawal by the IMD are reduced rainfall for five consecutive days, complete absence of moisture and formation of anti-cyclone in the lower troposphere over the region on the extreme western parts of the country. However, on Sunday, with a low-pressure system lying over east Rajasthan and adjoining west Madhya Pradesh, widespread and heavy rainfall activity over these regions were reported.
Earlier in the week, too, several stations like Sawai Madopur recorded rainfall of over 10 cm, leading to flooding in many places. “There will be widespread rain in the western parts of the country covering Rajasthan, and west Madhya Pradesh,… before the system weakens by September 11,” the IMD forecast of Saturday said.
According to meteorologist, with these systems still active over the western parts of the country, they would leave remnant moisture over Haryana, Punjab and Rajasthan regions.” The conditions do not look favourable for withdrawal and cannot be expected for another week, at least,” an official from IMD, Pune, said.
Vidarbha to get rain in next 48 hours
While most of August and beginning of September remained dry for Maharashtra, IMD has forecast rainfall activity over Vidarbha and some adjoining area of Marathwada during the next 48 hours. Forecasts suggest cloudy conditions over western Maharashtra, including Pune and its neighbourhood with light rain at isolated places in the coming week. This season, eight districts —Sangli (-28%), Nandurbar (-27%), Solapur (-26 %), Buldhana and Wardha (- 23 %), Aurangabad (-22%), Latur and Amravati (-20%) each, continue to remain in the rainfall deficient category.