Representative photo: PTI
NEW DELHI: The country received 27 percent more rain than normal in August, the fourth highest amount in the past 120 years, the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) said. Overall rainfall recorded in India from June 1 to August 31 was 10 percent higher than normal, IMD said on Monday. The official rainy season in the country is from June 1 to September 30.
“August saw 27 percent more rain than normal,” said RK Jenamani, a scientist at IMD’s national weather forecast center.
In its forecast for August last month, the IMD had forecast rainfall of 97 percent of the long-term average (LPA) with a margin of error of plus or minus 9 percent. A monsoon in the range of 96-104 percent of the LPA is considered normal.
“The precipitation recorded in August 2020 is the fourth highest in the last 120 years and the highest in 44 years,” added Jenamani.
This is also one of the wettest August months on record. August 1926 saw 33 percent more rain than normal, the highest rainfall recorded so far this month; 1976 registered 28.4 percent more rainfall than normal, while in August 1973 it registered 27.8 percent of normal. This year saw 27 percent rain.
Mahesh Palwat, vice president of Skymet Weather, said that due to the formation of five low-pressure areas in the Bay of Bengal in August, the month saw excess rain.
An area of low pressure is a cyclonic circulation. It is also the first stage of a cyclone. However, it is not necessary for every low pressure to turn into a cyclonic storm.
Jenamani said five low pressure areas formed over the Bay of Bengal brought heavy rains central and northern India. Of the five, four became a well-marked low pressure area.
Several parts of the country suffered floods last month due to the incessant rains last month.
Jenamani said the first area of low pressure formed between August 4-10 off the coast of Odisha. It moved through central India and Gujarat, entered the northern Arabian Sea, and dissipated over the coast of Oman. The second low-pressure area formed between August 9 and 11 off the coast of Andhra Pradesh-Odisha. He crossed Chhattisgarh to northeast Madhya Pradesh. Its remnant moved to northwestern India, causing flooding in Jaipur on Aug. 14, it said.
The third was between August 13 and 18. It moved through Chhattisgarh to northeast Madhya Pradesh, but its remnant as circulation moved northeast to Rajasthan and southern Punjab during August 18-20. This caused a heavy rain over northwestern India. It was at the same time that Delhi-NCR experienced flooding due to heavy rains.
The fourth was formed between August 19 and 26 and moved through central India to southwestern Rajasthan and the contiguous south. Pakistan. The weather system also caused flooding in Odisha on August 20-21, in Telangana, including Warangal and part of Hyderabad on August 21, in western Madhya Pradesh on August 22, and in southern Rajasthan and Gujarat on 23 and August 24.
The last and fifth systems were also formed between August 24 and 31.
June saw 17 percent more rain than normal, while July ended with a 10 percent rain deficiency.
The IMD had forecast that July will receive rains that are 103 percent of the long-term average (LPA), which falls into the “normal” category. The LPA precipitation over the country for the period 1961-2010 is 88 centimeters.
In its Long-Term Forecast for Rain in the Second Half (August-September) of the 2020 Southwest Monsoon released last month, IMD said August was likely to receive rainfall accounting for 97 percent of the LPA with a margin plus / minus error. nine percent.
“Quantitatively, the rainfall across the country during the second half of the season is likely 104 percent of the LPA with a margin of error of plus / minus eight percent,” he said.
the northwest division of the IMD has an overall deficiency of 9%. It comprises Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Haryana and the Union territories of Chandigarh, Delhi, Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh. Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh have recorded poor rains.
The central division of India received 21% more rainfall so far. The division comprises Goa, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Odisha and the Dadra Union territories and Nagar haveli and Daman and Diu. Gujarat has seen a lot of excess rainfall, while Goa saw an excess of precipitation.
The IMD’s southern peninsula meteorological division has received 20% more rainfall than normal. The division covers Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Kerala, Karnataka and the Union Territories of Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep and Puducherry. Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu have recorded excessive rains.
The eastern and northeastern division of India has also seen 2% more rainfall than normal. The division comprises West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand and the northeastern states. Nagaland, Manipur and Mizoram had poor rainfall, while Sikkim has witnessed a large excess.
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