India’s August rain highest in 44 years with 25% excess

NEW DELHI: India this year has recorded the rainiest August in 44 years, data from the India Meteorological Department (IMD) shows, filling up agricultural reservoirs and recharging groundwater across large parts of the country in what could help the prospects of farmers for the next cropping season.

According to the data, there was an overall 25% excess rain in August across India, a level not seen since 1976 when the country received 28.4% more rain than is usual for this time of the year.

Districts in central India, the southern peninsula and in the west are now in severely or extremely wet categories, as measured by the standard precipitation index (SPI) for the cumulative

monsoon period since June 1.“More wet districts are a sign that it’s a good year for agriculture and groundwater recharge. The rainwater harvesting potential is also huge for these districts and this will also ensure more water availability until next year,” said Pulak Guhathakurta, head, climate application and user interface, climate research and services at IMD Pune.

SPI is an index used for drought monitoring. Many parts of northwest India and east India remain in dry and moderately dry categories.

The largest excess rain recorded in the month of August till now has been in 1926 at 33%.

Overall monsoon rain this year is 8% excess so far, with 23% excess rain over south peninsula; 16% excess over central India; 12% deficient over north-west India, and 4% excess over east and north-east India. The monsoon season runs from beginning of June to September-end.