New western disturbance starting 18 June, says IMD, as 60% of districts see rain deficit
India’s weather bureau said on Wednesday that a new western disturbance is likely to affect northwestern India starting 18 June, even as 60% of the
India’s weather bureau said on Wednesday that a new western disturbance is likely to affect northwestern India starting 18 June, even as 60% of the country's districts recorded 'deficient' or 'large deficient' rainfall over 1-16 June. A low-pressure storm system originating over the Mediterranean, a western disturbance brings sudden rain, sharp winds, and cooler temperatures to northern India. Data from IMD showed that 245 of India’s 741 districts received 'deficient' rainfall, while 214 were marked 'large deficient' over this period. In IMD terminology, ‘large deficient’ means a region suffered a severe rainfall shortage, missing more than 60% of its usual rain for that period. Meanwhile, conditions remain favourable for the southwest monsoon to advance further over the next four to five days, bringing rain to additional parts of Telangana, Odisha, Jharkhand, Bihar, and Chhattisgarh, it added.
Also Read | Monsoon begins with a 26% deficit The monsoon arrived in Kerala on 4 June, three days after its normal onset date of 1 June. It has since covered Kerala, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, most of Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh, parts of Maharashtra, Telangana, Odisha, Jharkhand and Bihar, and the entire northeast. The IMD also forecast dust storms in Rajasthan between 17 and 19 June, and widespread rainfall for most northern states between 17 and 23 June. Delhi, Chandigarh and Punjab may see isolated thunderstorms around this period, it said. Gangetic West Bengal may receive widespread rainfall from 20-23 June, while most parts of Maharashtra and Goa are likely to see isolated to scattered rainfall over the same period. “Fairly widespread to widespread rainfall” is likely over Arunachal Pradesh, Assam & Meghalaya and Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura during 17-23 June, IMD added.
South India is also set to receive heavy rainfall this week, the weather bureau said. Isolated heavy rainfall is likely over Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, and Karaikal near Chennai over 17-21 June, and over Kerala and Mahe in over 21-23 June, IMD added. The IMD advised farmers in Kerala and Tamil Nadu to ensure proper drainage for crops—including rice, millets, sugarcane, groundnuts, vegetables, and plantation crops like banana, coconut, ginger, and black pepper—to minimize damage from heavy rainfall. India’s kharif sowing season starts in June, with the onset of the southwest monsoon. Harvests start around September-October as the rains recede. The kharif harvest accounts for about half of India’s annual harvest. In the hot seat Meanwhile, heatwave conditions are likely to persist in certain parts of the country, IMD said.
The BriefWire