With 1.5 months to go, seasonal total achieved

PANAJI: With frequent torrential rain and several spells of very heavy rain over the past couple of months, the monsoon on Friday crossed the seasonal average with a month and a half still to go.
On Friday morning, the seasonal total had reached 2,989mm (117.5 inches). A total of 2,975.6 (117.1 inches) is considered normal for the four-month season. This is the fastest the monsoon has completed its seasonal average in at least a decade.
With regular systems in the Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal buffering the monsoon cycle, the season’s normal has been crossed in less than two and half months.
“During this monsoon, the normal value of the state average rainfall has been crossed by August 12. This is the fastest in a decade,” Rahul M, scientist, India meteorological department (IMD), Panaji said.
It rained almost every day as cyclonic storm Nisarga boosted the pre-monsoon rainfall activity.
“During this season, the rainfall total has always been on the surplus side and June and July recorded 23% and 17% excess rainfall,” the scientist said.
The brisk run of rainfall activity continued during the third month, too. A quota of 702.3mm is average for August. On Friday, the month’s total surged to 694.4mm, closer to normal in just a fortnight.
The Indian meteorological department (IMD), Panaji, had forecast moderate rain, with heavy to very heavy rainfall is very likely at a few places for three days till August 16. But Friday was relatively quiet till evening.