Monsoon tracker: Rain lashes Jharkhand; IMD predicts journey towards these states
2 min read 20 Jun 2023, 06:25 AM ISTThe arrival of the southwest monsoon in Kerala was postponed by seven days, and its progress along the west coast, southern peninsula, as well as eastern and central India has been slower than expected.
PremiumAccording to a meteorological department official, the southwest monsoon made its entrance into Jharkhand on Monday, enveloping four districts out of a total of 24.
As reported by PTI, heavy rainfall was experienced in Sahibganj, Godda, Pakur, and Dumka districts. The IMD considers a variation of 19 per cent in rainfall, whether it's surplus or deficit, to be within the normal range. The recent rainfall provided relief from the prevailing heatwave conditions in the state, leading to a decrease of 1-5 degrees Celsius in temperatures at certain locations.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecasted that the southwest monsoon will progress into West Bengal, Jharkhand, and Bihar in the coming days. Additionally, it is expected to extend its reach to more regions in the southern peninsula within the next two days.
The arrival of the southwest monsoon in Kerala was postponed by seven days, and its progress along the west coast, southern peninsula, as well as eastern and central India has been slower than expected. This delay can be attributed to the influence of the cyclonic storm Biparjoy, which has since weakened and transformed into a depression positioned over Rajasthan. The state of Rajasthan experienced intense rainfall over the past 24 hours.
Heavy to extremely heavy rainfall is likely over eastern Rajasthan and northwest Madhya Pradesh till Wednesday. Light to moderate rainfall is anticipated over southwest Uttar Pradesh on Tuesday and Wednesday. IMD anticipated strong winds reaching gusting up to 45 kmph to lash eastern Rajasthan and adjoining areas of northwest Madhya Pradesh on Monday.
Under this weather system, these regions are expected to witness inundation of low-lying areas, reduction in visibility causing difficulty in surface transport and some breaches in roads due to flooding. The Met advised residents to stay indoors, and avoid travel during thunderstorms and gusty winds. It instructed local authorities to make necessary arrangements for draining out excess water from farms to avoid water stagnation in eastern Rajasthan and western Madhya Pradesh.
June is a critical month for the agriculture sector in India, as it typically receives around 16-17% of the total monsoon rainfall. It marks the onset of monsoon, and farmers eagerly begin sowing kharif crops during this time.
The sowing of kharif crops takes place in June and July, varying based on the specific regions. In states like Punjab and Haryana, where irrigation facilities are well-established, farmers have already commenced their sowing activities. However, in western, central, and eastern parts of the country, most farmers rely on the arrival of monsoon before initiating their sowing operations.