Delayed monsoon onset over Jharkhand this year

Ranchi: Southwest monsoon is likely to make a delayed onset over Jharkhand this year, weathermen at the Ranchi office of the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Sunday.
“This year’s monsoon currents are likely to set in over Kerala on June 5, four days behind its normal schedule. It usually takes 15 more days for the monsoon currents to reach Jharkhand. So, it is expected that monsoon will set in over Jharkhand on June 19,” IMD Ranchi director S D Kotal said.
In 2019, monsoon set in over Jharkhand on June 21, 11 days behind its schedule. In 2018, monsoon set in on June 25, 15 days behind schedule.
In the monsoon months between June and September, Jharkhand receives 1,092 mm rain on average. However, the delayed onset and erratic rainfall pattern have deprived the state of its share. In 2018, the state’s cumulative rainfall deficit was around 28% while in 2019, the deficit was a little over 21%.
In 2018, 129 blocks of the state were declared drought hit by the erstwhile government.
This year, IMD revised the official onset date of monsoon over Jharkhand. “Until 2019, June 10 was considered as the onset date. But this year, after studying onset and rainfall data collected for over a period of 30 years, the onset date has been revised to June 15,” Kotal added.
Meanwhile, IMD Ranchi office on Sunday predicted light to moderate showers over parts of Jharkhand in the next 72 hours. “After Amphan, Jharkhand was under the effect of westerlies blowing in from western India. After May 28, the wind pattern has changed to easterlies. As a result, the atmosphere is getting moisture from the Bay of Bengal,” Kotal said.
Chatra recorded 31.5 mm rain, the highest in Jharkhand overnight. Daltonganj and Bishrampur received 20mm each, while Pathargama, Ramgarh, Barhi, Hunterganj, Bokaro and Chas received 10mm each.