APAfter a second break phase, the southwest monsoon has revived. Monsoon winds have gained strength over north, central and southern parts of the country, bringing above normal since Thursday.
The coming weeks will be crucial in making up the 8% shortfall in rain, primarily caused due to the first break phase that lasted for three weeks and only ended by July 10. Till August 21, 33% of India by acreage was yet to receive adequate rainfall, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD). The lack of rain, mixed with uneven distribution, has also led to a delay in kharif crop sowing.
Sowing acreage till August 8, which is when the Ministry of Agriculture last issued data, was 2% down year-on-year. This would have worsened as the monsoon's break phase resulted in 17 consecutive days of below-normal rainfall across the country due to unfavourable meteorological conditions.
This has resulted in precipitation that’s 27% below normal over the first three weeks of August, led by insufficient rain in central (-36%) and south (-33%) India. The monsoon delivers about three-quarters of India’s annual rainfall, and is a key determinant of agricultural output and rural incomes. These in turn influence demand for consumer goods, gold and automobiles in rural areas, where two-thirds of Indians live. The Konkan coast is the only region to consistently receive moderate rainfall since the monsoon season began in June. However, moving slightly inward to central Indian regions such as interior Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh, surpluses turn to deficits.
The strong phase resulted in heavy rainfall across central and northern parts of the country. On Saturday, Delhi's Lodhi Road and Safdarjung observatories recorded 150 mm and 140 mm of rain respectively, causing widespread flooding across the capital. IMD had predicted a normal monsoon season, but the two weak phases have translated into deficits till now
The coming weeks will be crucial in making up the 8% shortfall in rain, primarily caused due to the first break phase that lasted for three weeks and only ended by July 10. Till August 21, 33% of India by acreage was yet to receive adequate rainfall, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD). The lack of rain, mixed with uneven distribution, has also led to a delay in kharif crop sowing.
Sowing acreage till August 8, which is when the Ministry of Agriculture last issued data, was 2% down year-on-year. This would have worsened as the monsoon's break phase resulted in 17 consecutive days of below-normal rainfall across the country due to unfavourable meteorological conditions.
This has resulted in precipitation that’s 27% below normal over the first three weeks of August, led by insufficient rain in central (-36%) and south (-33%) India. The monsoon delivers about three-quarters of India’s annual rainfall, and is a key determinant of agricultural output and rural incomes. These in turn influence demand for consumer goods, gold and automobiles in rural areas, where two-thirds of Indians live. The Konkan coast is the only region to consistently receive moderate rainfall since the monsoon season began in June. However, moving slightly inward to central Indian regions such as interior Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh, surpluses turn to deficits.
The strong phase resulted in heavy rainfall across central and northern parts of the country. On Saturday, Delhi's Lodhi Road and Safdarjung observatories recorded 150 mm and 140 mm of rain respectively, causing widespread flooding across the capital. IMD had predicted a normal monsoon season, but the two weak phases have translated into deficits till now
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