Goemkarponn Desk
PANAJI: The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Monday announced commencement of withdrawal of monsoon from parts of southwest Rajasthan, signalling the end of its four-month (June-September) journey.
The met department said that the monsoon withdrawal has been delayed against the usual date of September 17. The complete withdrawal of the monsoon usually takes about a month.
Met department officials said any delay in the monsoon’s retreat means a longer rainy season, which can impact the crop production especially in northwest India where moisture left behind by monsoon plays a crucial role for winter crops.
The monsoon entered the Kerala coast on June 8, most delayed arrivals in the last four years.
The met department also predicted a low pressure area is likely to form over north Andaman Sea and adjoining east central Bay of Bengal by around September 30, which is likely to bring rains over eastern and central part of the country.
Officials told FE that after a deficit June, monsoon was surplus in the month of July followed by driest ever precipitation in August since 1901. However monsoon rains have revived thus month thus bringing down the deficit in rains sharply.
The cumulative monsoon rainfall received in all the four regions during June 1 – September 25 was 802 mm, which is 5% below the benchmark – long period average of 832 mm for the same period.
However, the distribution of rainfall has been rather uneven.
The rainfall deficiency in the east and northeast and south peninsula have been 17% and 9% respectively so far, the northwest India has received 2% more rainfall than LPA, while and central India the rainfall is at par at normal range.
During monsoon season, the country receives more than 75% of the annual rainfall, which plays a crucial role in boosting kharif or summer crops — paddy, pulses, oilseeds, cotton and sugarcane production.
The southwest monsoon after onset over Kerala coast in early June covers the entire country by July. The monsoon rains start gradually receding from the north region from the middle of September.
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