‘Despite lull, Goa’s rainfall neither in excess nor deficit’

PANAJI: Goa has been experiencing subdued rainfall from July 24 till August 17, and a large break as such in the monsoon conditions could prove to be detrimental for the overall monsoon rainfall, said meteorologist and retired NIO chief scientist Dr M R Ramesh Kumar.
Scientist at the India meteorological department, Rahul M said that continuously for the past 4-5 weeks, rainfall has been below normal over states such as Kerala, Gujarat, Odisha and north east states. “Absence of any significant monsoon enhancing system affected monsoon intensity during the past two to three weeks and it has brought the country-wise rainfall to value lower than normal by 9% (from June 1 till 8.30am of August 18),” he said.
For the similar period, Goa’s rainfall has been at par with the mean rainfall (no deficit or excess) so far.
“The weak or break in monsoon conditions over the Indian subcontinent was mainly due to the shifting of the monsoon trough to the foothills of Himalayas and the Madden Julian Oscillation was also in an unfavourable phase,” Kumar said.
The second break in rainfall, which occurred in this month from August 1 till August 18, has left the country as a whole with a deficiency by 31%, with all the homogenous regions showing a deficit.
Central India has the maximum deficit at 44% and the east and northeast region the minimum deficit at 4%.
“Incidentally, the mid-monsoon months of July and August are also the peak monsoon months which contribute about 61% of the seasonal rainfall, hence such large weak or break in monsoon conditions are detrimental for the overall monsoon rainfall for the Indian subcontinent, including the state of Goa,” Kumar said.
The monsoon activity in Goa revived on August 18 with the formation of a low-pressure area near the Odisha coast and the northwest Bay of Bengal. The weather phenomenon will bring a lot of rainfall in the eastern region and to the central region besides the northwest parts in the coming days.