July deficit wiped out, but monsoon has brought 16% less rain till now
A spell of exceptionally heavy rainfall over Gujarat, aided by a low-pressure system that tracked westward from the Bay of Bengal and its interaction with
A spell of exceptionally heavy rainfall over Gujarat, aided by a low-pressure system that tracked westward from the Bay of Bengal and its interaction with a western disturbance, has virtually wiped out India’s rainfall deficit for July – the most important monsoon month – even as large parts of the Northeast continue to remain rainfall-deficient. As of July 24, rainfall across the country for July stood at 215.5 mm against a normal of 215 mm — eliminating the monthly deficit after a dry start to the month. However, cumulative rainfall for the monsoon season from June 1 to July 24 remained 16.1% below normal nationwide, according to India Meteorological Department (IMD) data. In percentage terms, East and Northeast India (E&NE) continued to be the worst-performing region with a seasonal deficit of 31.9%, while South Peninsular India recorded a 26.8% shortfall. “The deficit has come down now,” IMD Director-General Mrutyunjay Mohapatra told The Hindu. “The low-pressure system developed over the Bay of Bengal moved across Odisha to Gujarat and Rajasthan, and gave sufficient opportunity for good rainfall during the past week. A western disturbance also passed through north India, and there was interaction between the two.” While heavy rainfall has been reported from parts of Assam and Nagaland, Mr. Mohapatra said it would be incorrect to characterise the Northeast as witnessing an exceptional rainfall event.
“Heavy rains have occurred but it is not such an exceptional activity,” he said. “When Central India gets more rain, Northeast India generally gets less because the monsoon trough is located south of its normal position. We also cannot confirm any cloudburst… but the exceptionally heavy rainfall this time is over Gujarat.” The base level of rainfall in the E&NE is higher than in other parts of the country. Therefore, even a rainfall deficit in statistical terms can translate to significant rain in absolute terms. For instance, between June 1 and July 24, the normal rainfall in the East and Northeast India is 66.4 cm. This year, even with a 31% deficit, it is 45.2 cm. Regionally, that is still the highest rainfall in India and more than the actual 39 cm in Central India and 23 cm in the southern peninsula. Weekly rainfall deficits persisted across Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, and Tripura, although sub-Himalayan West Bengal and Sikkim recorded above-normal rainfall during several weeks. The agency nevertheless has warned of isolated heavy to very heavy rainfall continuing over Assam, Meghalaya and the other northeastern States over the coming days, with possibilities of landslides and waterlogging.
The BriefWire